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Dutch ministers on regional visit

    NAIROBI

    Two Dutch ministers are due to begin a visit to Africa’s Great Lakes on Saturday to explore ways in which the Netherlands could contribute to the region's peace, security and stability, the Netherlands Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday.

    "Among the topics on the agenda will be the armed conflict in Burundi and in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], and the roles that the various countries can play in solving the conflicts in the region," the ministry reported.

    Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Development Minister Agnes van Ardenne will be in the region until 14 August. They will begin their visit in Tanzania and will then tour Burundi on Sunday, Rwanda on Monday, Uganda on Tuesday and the DRC on Wednesday.

    "The visit is closely related to the efforts of the European Union, which is pursuing an active regional policy aimed at conflict resolution and development," the ministry reported.

    It added that the Netherlands wished to express its political commitment to the region, "which it sees as extending further than just development cooperation and the provision of humanitarian aid".

    The ministry said the two would visit the five countries with which the Netherlands has longstanding relations, and which receive support for stabilisation and peace building.

    The Netherlands has a long-term development relationship with Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and is participating in humanitarian aid, stabilisation, disarmament and reintegration of combatants in Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC, the ministry said.

    During their visit, the ministers are scheduled to meet presidents, vice-presidents, ministers of foreign affairs, the interior and defence, and representatives of the security sector in the five countries.

    The programme also includes meetings with representatives of civil society organisations and the private sector, the ministry said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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