BUJUMBURA July 19th (ABP) – The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mrs. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been on a two-day visit to Burundi since the morning of Friday, July 16, 2021.
The President of the United Republic of Tanzania was welcomed at the Melchior Ndadaye International Airport by the Vice President, Mr Prosper Bazombanza, accompanied by a delegation made up of members of the government and the defense and security forces.
Mrs. Samia Suluhu then headed to the Ntare Rushatsi House where she was warmly welcomed by the President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr Evariste Ndayishimiye.
The two persons high in authority made a gesture of planting trees in the precincts of the Ntare Rushatsi House, a sign of cooperation before a one-to-one talk first and then with the other members of the delegation for a bilateral discussion.
At the end of the talks, a press release was issued in which President Ndayishimiye clarified that the discussions focused on bilateral and regional issues. He took the opportunity to admire the gestures of solidarity and sympathy that characterized the two countries in the difficult times they went through especially during the disappearance of the Presidents of both countries.
According to the President of the Republic, they appreciated the fact that Burundi and Tanzania have the same political and diplomatic reading at different levels including the East African Community, shared at all levels, the African Union, the United Nations as well as other international forums.
As Tanzania is visibly more advanced in the areas of civil service and governance, Mr. Ndayishimiye asked Mrs. Samia Suluhu Hassan that her government assist in the training of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation of Burundi as well as other sectors to be agreed.
The two countries also agreed to continue to build peace and tighten security at common borders, to work hand in hand to fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, light weapons and human trafficking.
The President of the Republic of Burundi also indicated that they have agreed to increase cooperation and exchange of experiences concerning climate change and disaster management, in the field of agriculture and livestock and, in concrete terms, the need for Burundian and Tanzanian cooperatives to work hand in hand at all stages of production and to grant Burundian agricultural enterprises access to Tanzanian land in order to increase production.
Speaking of the exchange of experiences, he was delighted that a Burundian company ITRACOM which manufactures fertilizers is opening a factory on Tanzanian soil hence the two high personalities are committed to continue working together for a prosperous future of the two countries by strengthening bilateral trade. They invited the citizens of those countries to cross-border business, including investing in information technology, industry, banking, food processing sectors, transport, and so on.
The President of the Republic of Burundi further clarified that they asked all stakeholders involved in the Uvinza-Musongati-Gitega / Bujumbura-Uvira-Kindu standard railway project, in particular the part that concerns Burundi and Tanzania to speed up the launch of construction activities. Finally, the two high authorities from both countries have agreed to continue to combine efforts in the fight against the global Covid-19 pandemic as well as other cross-border diseases.