BUJUMBURA, November 16th (ABP) – The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, paid a working visit to Burundi on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at the invitation of his Burundian counterpart, Evariste Ndayishimiye, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
Thus, the two Heads of State held a bilateral meeting, during which they reaffirmed their firm desire to further strengthen the excellent bilateral ties that have existed for a long time, not only between the two governments, but also between the people of Burundi and of Somali, as disclosed in a joint press release issued after the meeting.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warmly congratulated his Burundian counterpart for his tireless efforts to contribute to the restoration of peace, security and stability in Somalia, through the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). In that regard, the two leaders paid deserved tribute to the Burundian troops, the Somali army and other ATMIS troops who are on the front line to fight against the terrorist group Al Shabab.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also congratulated his Burundian counterpart for his contribution to the restoration of peace, security and stability in eastern DRC, through the Nairobi process and Burundi’s contribution to the peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR).
At the bilateral level, the two leaders commended the establishment of the Joint Cooperation Commission (JCC) responsible for defining a framework for bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, including trade and investment, capacity building, agriculture, education, health, tourism, defense and security and political consultations in the mutual interest of the two countries and their respective people.
With a view to intensifying close cooperation between the two countries, the two Heads of State stressed the urgent need to convene a session of the JCC in the near future.
At the regional level, the two Heads of State reaffirmed their firm commitment to the 2030 agenda of the United Nations, the 2063 agenda of the African Union, the 2050 agenda of the EAC and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, ZLECAF, in order to stimulate intra-African trade, growth through diplomatic channels within the continent.
The two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to the priorities of the EAC for the period 2022-2026, such as the full implementation of the one-stop customs shop, strengthening the integration of regional commitments in accordance with the protocol relating to the EAC Common Market and the tightening of peace, security, stability and good governance at the regional level.
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to his Burundian counterpart, Evariste Ndayishimiye, to the people of Burundi for the warm welcome and hospitality reserved to him.
It is worthy to recall that to cement the current cordial ties between the two countries, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took advantage of that opportunity to extend an invitation to the Burundian Head of State, to make a working visit to the Federal Republic of Somalia, an invitation that President Ndayishimiye accepted amicably.