Africa-Press. The presidents of Senegal and Congo-Brazzaville, speaking at a joint meeting in the Congolese capital, reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy, education, and the exchange of expertise. The statement followed an official visit that included a tour of the Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza memorial and an extended meeting between the two sides.
After talks lasting more than an hour, the two leaders spoke to the press. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said his country is looking to expand cooperation with Congo in the oil sector, especially after Senegal recently joined the group of African oil-producing countries.
Faye said: “Senegal recently discovered oil and gas, and production began last year. That is what Congo has been doing for decades. So we have cooperation to be harnessed through the exchange of expertise and knowledge, so that we can learn from Congo’s long experience in managing oil and gas.”
Congo’s oil production is about 350,000 barrels per day, compared with 100,000 barrels per day in Senegal, which helps explain Dakar’s desire to benefit from Congo’s established experience in the sector.
For his part, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in vocational training and higher education, saying he hopes more young Congolese will receive specialized education at Senegalese universities.
Sassou Nguesso added: “Senegal has high-quality higher education institutions. Just yesterday, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told me about Senegal’s strong capacity to train specialist doctors.”
Brazzaville hosts a large Senegalese community, most of whom work in trade, strengthening human and social ties between the two countries. At the continental level, the Congolese president called for reviving the principles of African unity in a world he described as “full of challenges,” emphasizing the need for African countries to cooperate to confront rapid regional and international shifts.
