In the warm applause, Chairman TaoLuo gave a warm speech. He pointed out that the unbreakable friendship between Chinese people and theDRC peoplewas an inexhaustible incentive for the Chinese companies to tap into DRC, rooted here to achieve common development. Being one of the "Fortune 500" companies, CNMC was also the Chinese enterprise with the largest investment in the central and southern Africa. CNMC and the African people had gone through thick and thin since its initial investment in 1998, and with common experience and mutual participation, we had witnessed the economic development and social progress in Africa. Up to now, CNMC had provided a total investment of over 2.6 billion dollars and 12,500 jobs for Africa, becoming the best practitionerof "all-weather Sino-African friendship". Chairman 3 TaoLuo stressed that under the care of both governments, CNMC would continue to deepen its investment and cooperation in the DRC, striving to make new and greater contributions to the friendly exchanges and trade between China and DRC. 

Governor Lewis firstly gave warm congratulations to the successful commissioning of Mabende project in his speech, and high appraisal to the investment and development of the company in DRC as well as its contribution to local economic and social development. He expressed his hope that the two countries could join hands to deepen the friendly cooperation between the two countries, to achieve a greater sense of common development.