Celebration of the National Day of Swiss

On Saturday July 23, 2022, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKA joined the Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in Burundi Mr. Boris Maver and the Swiss community living in Burundi to celebrate the national day of Swiss.

In his speech, Mr. Boris Maver recalled that the national day at the level of Swiss Confederation is celebrated on August 1 of each year but within its representations abroad, it is celebrated according to the availability of each other. The National Day is a moment of sharing, of freedom and peace as a heritage, of joy, a day when everyone, without excessive patriotism, rejoices together to live in a country of freedom and well-being. It is also a day of reflection on the foundations and what makes the cohesion of Swiss Confederation. Mr. Boris Maver added.

According to the Director of the Office of Swiss Cooperation in Burundi, Swiss is committed throughout the world to several themes of responsible and reciprocal cooperation, including health, nutrition, the fight against women violence, governance in the broad sense, which also includes culture, the promotion of peace and human rights, employment and economic development, etc. which are the main areas of intervention of Swiss in Burundi. Swiss is a small country with its strengths and weaknesses, but all important issues are decided by the people with flexibility.

As for the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, the Government of Burundi joins them in sharing the joy of this celebration and in wishing their people more happiness, prosperity and well-being. Burundi and Swiss are delighted with the good relations of friendship and cooperation since the day after Burundi’s independence, because already in November, 1969, the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement launched these links in a concrete way and even in other areas such as teaching and research, crafts, housing, decentralization, health and land management. In order to give a new dimension to this cooperation, Burundi and Swiss concluded in April 2012, a framework agreement concerning development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

Important sectors such as health, governance and employment, through vocational training and skills building had been targeted through various projects. The partnership has always been marked by trust, sincerity and mutual respect to which Burundi attaches great importance. Burundi has no doubt that Swiss will continue its work to support Burundi in achieving its development objectives, the priority sectors which are included in the National Development Plan 2018-2027.

The Permanent Secretary ended his speech by emphasizing that the security situation is very good throughout the country and that the population is savoring the delights of restored peace and the political order based on the values ​​of justice, democracy, pluralism and respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual. The Government of Burundi is fully determined to further anchor democracy in all institutions and throughout society, since it is believed that it’s one of ways of hope for all countries of the world.