President Mbeki arrives on state visit

South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Kinshasa on Tuesday, heading a delegation of senior government and private business officials on a two-day visit aimed at boosting economic ties with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "South Africa is helping us resolve our conflicts, having brokered an all-inclusive agreement [among belligerents] that we are going to implement. Now Congo is going to try and reach an economic deal with him," Philippe Futa, the Congolese minister of finance, said. He said an economic protocol that Congo hoped to sign with South Africa would cover several areas of collaboration now being discussed by experts of both countries. The Congo, he said, was considering selling power from its Inga Dam to South Africa. Mbeki’s visit is the first by a South African President to Congo. Seven government ministers accompany him. An adviser at the Congolese Ministry of Transport, Didas Pembe, said that South Africa had provided US $252-million to modernise the existing international airport in Kinshasa; build a new international airport for the capital and a motorway linking the facility to the city. Congo's information minister, Vital Kamerhe, also said that South Africa wanted to help train Congo's new unified military forces; an endeavour in which Belgium, France and the United States have also expressed interest.