BUJUMBURA May 23rd (ABP) – Projects and programs funded by the European Union (EU) will now address the gender dimension at a rate of 85%, noted the EU Ambassador to Burundi, Mr. Claude Bochu, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr. Albert Shingiro, on the sidelines of the fourth session of the political dialogue between Burundi and the EU, held behind closed doors on Thursday, May 19, 2022 in Bujumbura.
Wishing to sustainably consolidate the confidence regained following the lifting of measures against Burundi linked to Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, Burundi and the EU have agreed to continue the dialogue, in order to exploit all the prospects offered by this renewal of relations, both from the point of view of cooperation and of economic, commercial and investment opportunities, we learned from a joint press release marking the closing of that fourth session of the political dialogue.
The press release states that the two parties have also agreed to facilitate the implementation of the reforms included in the Burundian government’s roadmap, particularly in terms of good governance, justice and the rule of law, human rights man, gender equality and the business climate. It was added that in the next session, the two parties will continue the exchanges at the technical and social level.
Mr. Shingiro told the press that, during this first session held after the lifting of the sanctions that had been imposed on Burundi by the EU, they discussed the state of cooperation, in a relaxed atmosphere, where much was said about joint projects for the promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation.
That Burundian diplomat stressed that the inclusion of the gender dimension is extremely important because, he said, it has been proven that the gender dimension can accelerate the development of countries and that women and girls occupy a place of choice in the economic development of the country. “We are therefore determined to move forward together in unison of vision and approach and mutual trust,” he added.
The EU ambassador to Burundi said that, in addition to development cooperation issues, they also had exchanges on the war between Russia and Ukraine, the consequences of this war on an international scale. including inflation and food scarcity as well as the disruption of the economy and the consequences for the people of that planet.
Ambassador Bochu thanked the Minister in charge of development cooperation for having co-chaired this session with him and for having dealt with all the subjects that were on the agenda. He welcomed the active participation of actors on both sides, before welcoming the presence in this session of the President of the Independent National Commission for Human Rights (CNIDH), Dr. Sixte Vigny Nimuraba. He also pointed out that the cooperation day will be held on June 10, 2022, at the Bujumbura public garden.
Note that this session was held in accordance with Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement binding on the one hand, the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and on the other hand, the EU and its Member States.