BUJUMBURA November 24th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, participated on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, by video-conference, in the 21st summit of Heads of State and government member of the common market of the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) taking place in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt.
The activities of that conference began with the handover and resumption ceremonies between the outgoing President of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of COMESA since 2018, Mr. Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar and Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the incoming president of the said conference, who is at the same time president of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Those ceremonies were marked by the symbolic handing over of the emblem of power by the outgoing president to the new entrant.
During his speech, the President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, indicated that it is necessary to strengthen trade integration to accelerate economic recovery following the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic, he said, hit the economies of COMESA member countries hard and unexpectedly slowed economic growth, causing an unprecedented economic shock.
According to President Ndayishimiye, joint action is imperative for a solution of resilience and revival of the economies of the member countries of COMESA today at half-mast following this pandemic. He ended his remarks by congratulating the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt while reassuring him of the support of the government of Burundi in all actions.
In his speech, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi returned to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular in relation to the economic and commercial development of member countries of the common market of East and Southern Africa. He also pointed out that regional complementarity plays an important role for the economic and trade development of COMESA member countries through free trade in goods. He wanted to work in complementarity for regional economic development in different commercial areas.