BUJUMBURA January 18th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye returned on Tuesday January 16, 2024 from the Gabonese Republic, where he had made a two-day working and friendship visit, at the invitation of the transitional president of the Republic of Gabon, Brice Olingui Nguema.
The spokesperson for the President of the Republic of Burundi Mrs. Rosine Guilène Gatoni told the press that the Head of State came from a trip he made to the Gabonese Republic as part of strengthening bilateral cooperation relations which have existed between Burundi and Gabon since 1975.
Mrs. Gatoni added that that visit also aimed to strengthen the friendship that exists between those two countries knowing that Gabon is a long-standing ally of Burundi, explaining that Gabon has been close to Burundi while it was still in the process of restoring peace and security.
She also noted that the Burundian number one took advantage of that opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to supporting the Gabonese Republic during that period which is not easy since the coup d’état which took place on August 30, 2023. He again promised to support the transitional government until constitutional order.
During his stay in Libreville, she said, President Ndayishimiye took that opportunity to further strengthen cooperative relations where three agreements were signed. Those are the cooperation agreement, the trade agreement and the worker exchange agreement. Those agreements will make it possible to open other horizons and rise to a higher level, the relations which exist between those two countries, but also the opportunities for import and export of local Burundian products to that new market which opens in Burundi.
In the Gabonese Republic, the father of the Burundian nation also made certain visits on the sidelines of sharing experiences. He visited the Nkok special investment zone, spread over an area of 1,126 hectares and divided into commercial, industrial, administrative and residential zones. There are different forms and types of industries, but also specialized training centers. That organization greatly inspired the Burundian Head of State and promised that soon, a team of Burundian experts will be able to go to Gabon to draw inspiration from that model and come and apply it in Burundi, in order not only to promote and attract more investors but also develop the economy through local industry.
From the same area, he was able to visit certain companies including “pharmaceutical health” which works in the production of generic medicines and “Tropical forest product” which works in the transformation of wood from its primary state to its tertiary state. That also provided an example and a model of inspiration for the numerous projects for the transformation of minerals and natural resources that Burundi abounds in, particularly marble, as specified by the Head of State of Burundi.
According to Mrs. Gatoni, on the sidelines of that same visit, the President of the Republic of Burundi met the Burundian diaspora living in Gabon, where they had a framework for exchanges and sharing. President Ndayishimiye made them aware of their role in contributing to the development of their homeland Burundi. He also invited them to display their skills in what they do in Gabon.
The Transitional President of the Gabonese Republic, in turn, expressed his satisfaction with the President of the Republic of Burundi and testified that Burundi is truly a friend of all times and all circumstances, while meaning that Burundi has been close to that country since the difficult times that Gabon is going through.