Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On June 26, 2026, in Bujumbura, His Excellence Ambassador Édouard Bizimana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Development Cooperation, officially opened the 11th edition of the Diplomatic Week. The event took place in the Ministry’s conference room under the theme: “Economic Diplomacy and Strategic Partnerships: Levers for Achieving the Objectives of the Vision for Burundi as an Emerging Country by 2040 and a Developed Country by 2060.”
In his address, Minister Édouard Bizimana welcomed the guests and expressed his gratitude to the diplomatic missions accredited to Burundi, international and regional organizations, development partners, and all dignitaries present. He emphasized that their participation reflects the keen interest in Burundian diplomacy, its influence, and the opportunities it offers.
The Minister recalled that the Diplomatic Week aims to establish a framework for exchanges free from standard protocols, allowing for a better understanding of Burundi: its natural beauty, its cultural identity, and the Government’s efforts to enhance the well-being of the population. It also aims to highlight the country’s authenticity and the deep aspirations of its people.
His Excellence specified that this edition is part of a visionary momentum where economic diplomacy and strategic partnerships serve as essential pillars to propel Burundi toward emergence by 2040 and sustainable development by 2060. By placing the economy at the heart of its diplomacy, the country affirms its commitment to consolidating its domestic assets and opening up further to the world.
The Minister presented Burundi’s new diplomatic strategy, structured around five key pillars:
- Attraction of foreign investments
- Technology transfer
- Tourism promotion
- Progressive industrialization
- Infrastructure development
These pillars rely on the strengthening of local and international partnerships to ensure their successful implementation.
The Minister announced that excursions will be organized to visit production and processing enterprises, both in Bujumbura and across the interior of the country. These visits will allow participants to witness the positive impact of foreign investments, technology transfer, and tourism promotion.
He also recalled that the Vision Burundi 2040–2060 serves as a national roadmap mobilizing public institutions, the private sector, and all citizens around a common goal: to build a prosperous, stable, competitive, and globally open Burundi.
His Excellence invited partners to share their experiences and suggestions to enrich collective reflection on ways to further strengthen partnerships. He reaffirmed Burundi’s attachment to multilaterism, international cooperation, regional integration, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
On this occasion, Ambassador Laurent Kavakure encouraged the diplomatic corps, international and regional organizations, as well as partners to become economic ambassadors for Burundi by highlighting the country’s numerous potentialities.
The discussions continued through a panel session in which eminent panelists, including His Excellence Édouard Bizimana, took part. They all converged on the need to reinforce economic diplomacy, materialized by the effective implementation of the pillars of the Vision for Burundi as an Emerging Country by 2040 and Developed by 2060. The second phase of the event was dedicated to a guided tour of the Afritextile Company. Many other businesses and tourist sites will be visited for this purpose to highlight the economic and investment opportunities that Burundi offers.