AC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert WEISBERG
embassy: NA
mailing address: NA
telephone: [243] (88) 43608
note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310
Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)

Flag description:
divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the
upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy Congo, Republic of the

Economy - overview:
The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an
industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a
government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil
has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a
major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s,
rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance
large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5%
annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has
mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through
oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and
chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been
undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably
the World Bank and the IMF. However, the reform program came to a
halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who
returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly
expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and
privatization and in renewing cooperation with international
financial institutions. Economic progress was badly hurt by slumping
oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998,
which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current
administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and