GITEGA January 19th (ABP) – The upper house of parliament met on Thursday January 18, 2024 at the Gitega convention center (central Burundi) under the aegis of its president, Mr. Emmanuel Sinzohagera, to analyze and adopt the bill ratifying by the Republic of Burundi the agreement between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the Republic of Cuba on the reciprocal exemption from visas for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports.
It was the Minister in charge of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Gervais Abayeho, who represented the government of Burundi to present the reasons for ratifying that bill.
Minister Abayaho told senators that that agreement was signed on September 14, 2023 by the Cuban Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, and the Burundian Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Albert Shingiro, during the summit of southern countries with China (G77+China) held in Havana, Cuba, in the presence of the Burundian President, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Mr. Abayeho also noted that the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic, official and service passports will allow a faster exchange, regularity and fluidity of travel of officials of the two respective administrations, called on day to day to collaborate and exchange with a view to maintaining those relations of friendship and cooperation at higher levels.
According to the Minister in charge of East African Community Affairs, that agreement would create favorable conditions for economic, commercial and investment cooperation activities between the two countries. It will facilitate travel for citizens of those two sister countries, promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in different areas of common interest, explained Mr. Abayeho.
In answering questions from senators, Minister Abayeho admitted that businessmen are not among the beneficiaries of those passports. He indicated that the two countries plan to negotiate other agreements in priority sectors, in that case the commercial and economic field, so that economic cooperation relations do not risk being sterile for our country. He also pointed out that it is from those subsequent agreements that Burundi will appreciate the need to negotiate the facilities to be granted to economic operators from the two countries who could import or export products from those two nations so that relations economic benefits could be beneficial for Burundi.
After discussions, senators unanimously adopted that bill.
Note that bilateral relations between Burundi and Cuba date back to 1967 and took shape on February 2, 1974 with the establishment of diplomatic relations.