U.S. Diplomats Talk About the Global Economic Crisis

Mr. Haykin and Ms. Jafee

On March 17, Mr. Stephen Haykin, the director of USAID/DRCongo, and Ms. Elizabeth Jaffee, the Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy Kinshasa, held a press roundtable on the current global economic situation. Mr. Haykin and Ms. Jaffee explained to a dozen Congolese print and broadcast journalists that the economic crisis is a global problem that requires a global response which should be rooted in stronger international cooperation and a stronger coordination with international financial institutions. They stressed that cooperation should favor a commitment to trade and investment over protectionism. The two diplomats said that the U.S. government is trying to lay a new foundation for sustainable prosperity on the domestic front, through the stimulation of the economy and the reconstruction of the stability of the U.S. financial system. They also assured reporters that U.S. development assistance to the DRC will not be affected by the global economic crisis. Mr. Haykin and Ms. Jaffee noted that the U.S. government works closely with other bilateral and multilateral donors to ensure that the DRC continues to build on the progress achieved by the DRC government toward the consolidation of democratic institutions, economic growth, and peace and stability efforts.