Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert Shingiro, attended the ceremonies celebrating the 40th anniversary of the partnership between Burundi and the State of Baden-Württemberg, at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bujumbura, the economic capital.
Minister Albert Shingiro recalled that the establishment of this 40-year partnership marked a new era in the history of relations between the two states and their peoples. It all began in October 1963 with a working visit by King Mwambutsa of Burundi to Baden-Württemberg.
The joint declaration of cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of Baden-Württemberg, signed on May 16, 2014, in Stuttgart, was a historic step in consolidating this partnership to build a better world for current and future generations. These 40 years of partnership have been fruitful and mutually beneficial at an exemplary level in the interest of both peoples.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Mr. Carsten Holscher, in his speech, reflected on the history of the close partnership between Burundi and Baden-Württemberg, which has been maintained since 1984 on an equal footing. He also emphasized that the development cooperation of the Federal Republic of Germany and the cooperation of the state of Baden-Württemberg complement each other very well. Given that the Federal Republic of Germany and the cooperation of Baden-Württemberg complement each other, Burundi can count on Germany and Baden-Württemberg as reliable partners. The national partnership is also characterized by significant cooperation and joint projects in the fields of education, agriculture, administration, health, environment, as well as reconciliation and peacebuilding.
The representative of the Board of Directors of the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ), Mr. Steffen Muller, in his speech, indicated that the 40 years of partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi have undergone a long journey, but many projects and relationships have emerged from this journey. The implementation of these projects by the Parliament was challenging, leading to the creation of the Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ)
in 1991.
On May 16, 2014, the partnership was officially sealed by the Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Laurent Kavakure, and the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann.
As the political situation initially did not allow for closer political cooperation, State Secretary Rudi Hoogvliet, after taking office and assuming his responsibilities in 2021, defined the partnership with Burundi as a central focus and strengthened the friendship with Burundi in 2023 with the renewal of the agreement, which allowed the SEZ to open a partnership office in Burundi. This represents an important milestone in the history of the partnership. The success of this partnership has been a result of increased meetings between Baden-Württemberg and the Burundian government over the years.
Mr. Steffen Muller thanked the Government of Burundi on behalf of the SEZ for its constant support and the exceptional hospitality they experienced in Burundi.
He concluded his remarks by expressing the hope for the strengthening of a developed partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi.
