Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert Shingiro and His Excellency Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Isao FUKUSHIMA, signed a note exchange between the Government of Burundi and the Government of Japan for a food donation and a donation of medical equipment granted by the Government of Japan to the Republic of Burundi.
In his speech, Ambassador Isao FUKUSHIMA informed that the first note exchange is about the Food Assistance Program, valued at approximately BIF 3 billion, referencing the food assistance agreement signed in London on April 25, 2012. He stated that this project aims to support the Burundian government by providing wheat to address food insecurity, as the self-sufficiency rate is around 50%, which is not enough to meet the needs of a constantly growing population.
The second note exchange focused on the donation of medical equipment, amounting to approximately BIF 8 billion, and this project is intended for Prince Regent Charles Hospital. Ambassador Isao FUKUSHIMA emphasized that Prince Regent Charles Hospital has been a tertiary referral hospital and has opened its doors to residents of surrounding neighborhoods lacking access to referral services. He added that he was deeply moved by the difficulties faced by patients who could not receive adequate care, and that this donation of high-quality Japanese medical equipment would significantly improve care and ensure dignified treatment for patients. He also highlighted that Japan rehabilitated the maternity ward of the hospital last year, allowing more than 5,000 mothers per year to receive adequate postnatal care.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert Shingiro, expressed his deep gratitude on behalf of the Government of Burundi to the Government of Japan for the solemn signing of notes, the “Japanese Rice Donation KR 2025,” valued at 150 million Japanese Yen, equivalent to nearly one million US dollars, and the donation of medical equipment” valued at 400 million Japanese Yen, approximately 2.6 million US dollars offered by the Government of Japan.
In fact, this food donation provided in the form of rice, is sold on the local market. The revenue generated are used to finance development projects, supporting the Government of Burundi’s vision of making the country an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060.
The Minister also praised the diplomatic relations between Japan and Burundi, which have happily existed since 1963 and were strengthened on June 16, 2006. He added that since that year, Japan, through its Embassy in Burundi and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has significantly contributed to the economic and social development of our country while respecting the principle of national ownership. The Minister thanked the Japanese Government for these funds and specified that a portion of the counterpart funds resulting from the sale of various Japanese donations remains temporarily unused in specific accounts at the Bank of the Republic of Burundi (BRB), awaiting projects that comply with the contractual clauses of the cooperation.
He reminded that the Government of Burundi is committed to making greater efforts to ensure that the projects they have just signed and those currently underway are a total success, similar to previous programs, while observing certain key principles of development cooperation. In concluding his remarks, the Minister requested, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Burundi, His Excellency Evariste Ndayishimiye, to kindly convey to the competent Japanese authorities the recognition of the Government and the People of Burundi for the constant, multifaceted, and multidimensional support from the Government of Japan, and to reaffirm Burundi’s active participation in the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9) in Yokohama, Japan.