Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On Thursday, August 08, 2024, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO, opened a retreat for the Ministry’s senior executives to assess the implementation statement of development cooperation by the Ministry.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary informed the participants that from 1965 so far the Ministry has successively known different names and that today it bears the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, which should not be taken for granted because it shows the direction the country’s authorities intend to give to the country’s foreign policy.
The Ministry is the interlocutor of diplomatic and consular missions, regional and international organizations, foreign non-governmental organizations and non-profit associations accredited or working in the country and other external partners, added the Permanent Secretary.
Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO recalled that the missions of the Ministry in charge of Development Cooperation are stipulated in Decree No. 100/053 of September 1, 2020 and in its capacity as the main actor in the implementation of the Government’s priorities in terms of foreign policy and international cooperation, the Ministry spares no effort to contribute to the processes of development and promotion of the Economic Diplomacy. This is shown by the multiple awards won by His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO, rewarded for his dedication and leadership at the head of the Ministry.
Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO highlighted the fact that the Ministry is, in as much as possible, making efforts to accomplish its mission and trying to constantly improve the performance to be in line with the National Development Plan of Burundi and the Vision Burundi Emerging Country in 2040 and Developed Country in 2060. Yet, it is also obvious that the Ministry faces with a number of challenges, obstacles and gaps, especially in terms of the “development cooperation”, of which Mr. Ferdinand BASHIKAKO asked the participants to pay particular attention during the retreat.
Noting that this retreat was organized for introspective reasons on the matters of the implementation of the “development cooperation” component by the Ministry, making a policy and prospective analysis, making an in-depth analysis of the challenges and obstacles faced with the Ministry, in complete transparency and in all objectivity.
