State Minister for Agriculture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Gregoire Mutshail Mutomb (C) listens to an introduction on an agricultural cooperation project at the center for demonstration of agricultural techniques and the popularization of rain-fed crops in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Dec. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Shi Yu)

KINSHASA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The first training session on agricultural technical cooperation, jointly organized by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and China, was launched Thursday in Kinshasa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, DRC Minister of Agriculture Gregoire Mutshail Mutomb said agriculture is one of the pillars of cooperation between the DRC and China, as the two countries decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in May last year.

According to the agriculture minister, this first training session will enable the DRC to leverage its agricultural resources, achieve self-sufficiency in food production, and reduce poverty.

Chinese Ambassador to the DRC Zhao Bin called on both countries to work jointly to expand Sino-Congolese agricultural cooperation and help strengthen food security in the DRC.

This training session is set to last for one month, involving more than 40 Congolese participants. ■