The Federal Government is supporting the consolidation of the democratic process and is calling for lasting political and economic reforms in order to prevent further destabilisation in the country and the region. A current priority is improving the security and humanitarian situation, especially in eastern Congo.

Then Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid a visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2019. In the same year, President Félix Tshisekedi went on his first trip to Germany, where he met Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. He travelled to Berlin once again at the end of August 2021 in his capacity as AU Chairperson for the Compact with Africa summit.

Bilateral development cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently comprises an ongoing portfolio totalling around 500 million euro. A comprehensive humanitarian assistance portfolio is also in place (52 million euro in 2022, compared with 68.5 million euro in the previous year).

German development cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo focuses on three core issues: peace and societal cohesion with a focus on peace efforts in the east of the country and increased resilience of the population; the protection of our natural resources with, among other things, support for six nature conservation areas and the population living in peripheral zones; and training and sustainable growth for good jobs with projects, for example, to ensure control and transparency in the mining sector. Individual energy projects are also being promoted.

In the area of humanitarian assistance, Germany is helping, among other things, to provide food aid and to promote specific protection projects for girls and women to tackle sexual and gender-based violence. It is also working to strengthen health services and clinics as well as to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services for people in need.

There is a low level of economic relations between Germany and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Goethe-Institut has maintained a liaison office in Kinshasa since 2015. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Hanns Seidel Foundation also have offices in Kinshasa.