Washington: The US Department of State announced today that Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have agreed on the outlines of a regional economic integration framework, as part of their peace agreement.

In a statement, the department said that the principles agreed upon Friday outline a framework that includes cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, national parks, and public health. The two countries also agreed to launch the regional economic integration framework within 90 days.

It added that a preliminary draft of the framework has been agreed upon, and there will now be a period for input to gather feedback from the private sector and civil society before finalizing it. The statement noted that yesterday's announcement follows the first meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee held Thursday) attended by observers from the United States, Qatar, and the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), along with the African Union Commission, even though other commitments remain unfulfilled.

Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement in Washington on Jun. 27 aimed at ending fighting that has claimed thousands of lives.

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