The Ministry of Foreign Affairs focuses on a good governance

A good governance is one of the priorities of the Government”. This was said by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO during the presentation of the achievements of the said Ministry for the 2022-2023 budget year. That good governance is implemented by the guidance of His Excellency Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE, the President of the Republic and enlightened leader.

In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation has realized a lot of activities. The Ministry has developed the infrastructure at the Embassies and Consulates of Burundi abroad (Kigoma, Dar-es Salaam, Somalia, Addis Ababa, Kampala, etc.). The Minister also held the awareness sessions related to a good governance. He then performed on may 2, 2023 in the province of Bururi, Commune Songa, with his colleagues from the Ministries in charge of Youth and Sports, Communication, Commerce and the Civil Service as part of implementing a good governance and strengthening a local administration.

In the protection of the environment, the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation proceeded on planting of trees in Kabezi within the framework of the national reforestation project EWE BURUNDI URAMBAYE in the company of the diplomatic corps. The Ministry treated Sixty-seven (67) contentious files, it digitized 139 documents, the Ministry granted 2298 apostles and it legalized more than 1871 documents. It then analyzed and processed 279 applications for an exemption from an equipment used by NGOs and ASBLs, 59 applications for the diplomatic identification card and 7 applications for temporary registration. It also granted 73 diplomatic license plates. He carried out three inspection missions from february 26 to march 1, 2023, at the Consulate General of BUKAVU from may 25 to 27 at the Embassy of Burundi in Addis Ababa and from may 28 to 30 at the Embassy of Burundi in Kigali. The Ministry has initiated the procedures to set up an office housing with a Single Window for the management of all relations between the Government of Burundi and NGOs.

Regarding the challenges encountered during that period, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO cited, among other things, the lack of material and financial resources which means that certain actions are experiencing the difficulties in execution; the lack of a large building that can embrace all the services of the Ministry. The solution to that challenge can however be found with the implementation of the Ministry building construction project by our Chinese partner, he adds.

In conclusion, His Excellency Ambassador Albert SHINGIRO ended his remarks by saying that the staff of his Ministry will continue to carry out, with determination and confidence, their daily actions to the completion of the priority projects already started for the current budget year. It is precisely a question of implementing the Government’s Annual Action Plan for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, whose activities converge on the economic diplomacy with five ramifications, which are the attraction of foreign investment, the transfer of the technologies, trade and the promotion of tourism, the progressive industrialization of the country and the development of infrastructures at national and regional level through regional integrative projects.