Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated on September 3 that the Democratic Republic of Congo will advance plans to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The announcement came after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi completed a working visit to Israel earlier in the week.

Saar said the relocation would proceed in tandem with Israel reopening its embassy in Kinshasa. He described Congo as a strategically important African country and a friend of Israel. The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to become the 11th country with an embassy in Jerusalem.

The move stems from an agreement first reached in September 2023 during a meeting between Tshisekedi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. At that time, the leaders announced reciprocal steps involving the Congolese embassy relocation and the reopening of Israel's mission in the Congolese capital, which had been closed since 2003.

During the recent visit, Tshisekedi met with Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Discussions covered security, defense, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and technology. A joint declaration issued after the September 1 meeting confirmed that the two sides would continue consultations on the embassy arrangements and determine implementation modalities through diplomatic channels.

Most countries maintain their embassies in or near Tel Aviv due to the disputed status of Jerusalem. Israel regards the entire city as its capital, while Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. The planned relocation aligns with Israel's efforts to gain broader international recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.

The latest developments build on renewed diplomatic engagement between the two nations in recent years, including cooperation in security and economic sectors.