Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On Thursday July 18, 2024, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr Ferdinand Bashikako joined the authorities of the Embassy of the United States of America and the American people residing in Burundi, in the ceremonies of the national day of the United States of America.
During the ceremonies, the Ambassador of the United States of America Her Excellency Mrs Lisa Peterson thanked the guests and indicated that she is happy to welcome them to celebrate the national day with them. She took this opportunity to introduce the new Deputy Chief of Mission, Amy Davison, who recently arrived at the Embassy. In her speech, the Ambassador of the United States of America announced that on the day she presented her credentials to His Excellency Mr Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, she reaffirmed the determination of the United States to work alongside the Government and people of Burundi in friendship, mutual respect and unwavering support. With a diplomatic relationship of more than sixty (60) years, that commitment is based on a legacy of cooperation and partnership.
The Ambassador of the United States of America shared with the participants, some of the achievements of the United States in Burundi within the framework of bilateral cooperation.
In the health sector, the Ambassador of the United States of America said that her country has helped Burundi in achieving the remarkable milestones in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and affirmed that they are on the same path of success in the fight against malaria.
The Ambassador of the United States of America also committed to attracting and retaining American investors in Burundi. That requires the economic and governance reforms, strengthening the economic capacities of Burundians, boosting the productivity and sustainability of smallholder farmers and strengthening the coffee sector in Burundi.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr Ferdinand Bashikako, extended his warm and heartfelt congratulations to the Ambassador of the United States of America Her Excellency Mrs Lisa Peterson, to the Government of the United States of America that she represents here in Burundi and to all her compatriots. He congratulated the Ambassador of the United States of America who organized the national holiday in Burundi for the very first time and who, only three weeks after her official inauguration, is still at the beginning of her mandate. He expressed his wishes for success in her noble mission, for fulfillment for herself and her family and a pleasant stay in Burundi. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, he promised the Ambassador of the United States of America all the necessary collaboration for the success of her mission. He also expressed his gratitude for the efforts that her country has been providing, at a time when the financial crisis has tended to worsen in recent years in the world, leading to sometimes severe macroeconomic imbalances and, in some cases, reductions in development support. He welcomed the relevance of the programs that are the subject of the Burundian-American partnership. The axes of that cooperation fit perfectly into the national priorities as formulated in the National Development Plan of Burundi 2023-2027. Burundi’s wish is, with the support of its partners including the United States of America, to accelerate the implementation of that Strategic Plan to meet its ambitious Vision of a Burundi, an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060.