The meeting of His Excellency Albert SHINGIRO with His Excellency SERGUEI LAVROV, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Sochi

On thursday, march 23, 2023, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi held an interview with Mr SERGUEI LAVROV, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in a meeting which was held in Russia at the city of Sochi.

This interview focused on the regional and global issues and challenges of the time to which these two countries attached a particular interest and finally sharing the political, security, economic and diplomatic situation of Burundi

Concerning the political situation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO informed his colleague that Burundi has regained the political stability after several years of conflicts and political tensions which have set the country back in terms of socio-economic development; and that in 2020, Burundi has acquired the state institutions through democratic, free and transparent elections that were financed by the Burundian people without outside assistance.

Regarding the security, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO said that Burundi is now stable and calm and that Burundians are benefiting from the dividends of peace to tackle the socio-economic development issues to improve their living conditions.

Economically, he said that Burundi is endowed with two essential resources for successful development, including abundant and diversified natural resources (gold, nickel, rare earths, etc.). The second resource is the youth, which represents 65% of the Burundian population. He also spoke about the new agricultural policy by which Burundi is trying to achieve food self-sufficiency in terms of basic agricultural products which are almost all produced locally.

On the diplomatic situation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO said that Burundi has just adopted a new foreign policy centered on the economic diplomacy. This policy is based on five pillars, namely the attraction of foreign investment, trade, technology transfer, the promotion of tourism and other growth sectors and the development of major infrastructures. This policy allows Burundi to strengthen, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the mutually beneficial cooperation ties in the above-mentioned areas with our partners who wish to invest in Burundi.

For bilateral cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO then added that Burundi is quite naturally proud to maintain relations of friendship and cooperation with the Russian Federation and its people and that Burundians welcome the solidarity of the Russia, which has placed Burundi among the priority countries with which it maintains close relations based on respect and mutual trust, as well as the general quality of the dialogue and partnership that exists between these two countries. The relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries are also manifested by mutual visits through which cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Russian Federation.

At the international level, the Minister Albert SHINGIRO welcomed the political proximity of Russia and Burundi and reiterated the thanks of the Government of Burundi to the Russian Government for the political and diplomatic support that this country has shown to Burundi from 2014 to 2020 in New York. This period corresponds to the time when Burundi was under the diplomatic political aggression of foreign actors, some of whom consider themselves unilaterally as regulators of the geopolitics of the world without having the mandate.

Regarding the resolution of conflicts and paradoxes in the different regions of the world, whether in Africa, Asia, America and Europe, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO pointed out that Burundi always stands on the side of solutions and not on the side of the problems and he deeply believes that any dispute, regardless its size and complexity, can always be resolved peacefully through the formidable tools that diplomacy places at its disposal such as dialogue, cooperation, negotiation, good offices among others. This could also apply to the current situation in Ukraine.

For the multilateralism to which the humanity aspires in order to meet the major global challenges facing the world at this time, such as the maintenance of peace and security in the world, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the reform of the Security Council, climate change, the migration crisis, health crises, digital transformation. His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO announced that Burundi advocates fair, equitable, inclusive multilateralism, respectful of the principles and intrinsic values ​​of every nation. A multilateralism whose rules of the game are applicable to all countries regardless their size, geographical location, level of development and weight in global governance.

To conclude this interview, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO pointed out that Burundi reaffirms its attachment to the relations of friendship, brotherhood and cooperation with the Russian Federation and its firm commitment to strengthening, diversifying and strengthen them further in the interest of two respective nations. He ended by inviting his counterpart to come to Burundi to further deepen their discussions on ways and means to strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two governments.

It should be noted that diplomatic relations between Burundi and Russia are good, as proved by the 60th anniversary which was celebrated with brilliance on october 7, 2022 in Bujumbura.