Iceland and the Democratic Republic of Congo Establish Diplomatic Relations

On Friday 23 February 2007, the Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York of Iceland and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a communiqué establishing diplomatic relations.

DRC is the third largest country on the African continent with a population of 63 million. UN peacekeepers have been in the country since 1999 and worked with the government to build up the country after years of civil war. With over 17,000 peacekeepers in the DRC, the MONUC mission is the UN's largest in the World. The first democratic elections in decades were held in DRC in 2006 under UN supervision.

The picture shows H.E. Mr. Atoki Ileka, Permanent Representative of DRC, and H.E. Mr. Hjalmar W. Hannesson, Permanent Representative of Iceland, signing a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations. Standing behind the Ambassadors are Mr. Rachidi Ekanza Ezokola, Second Counsellor at DRC's Mission and Mr. Emil Breki Hreggvidsson, Counsellor at Iceland's Mission.