BUJUMBURA, October 24th (ABP) – The Minister of Commerce, Transport and Industry, Marie Chantal Nijimbere, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, held a press conference during which he announced the holding of the 23rd Summit of Heads of State of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) which will take place in Bujumbura on October 31 this year.
Minister Nijimbere indicated that Burundi is ready to host this Summit of Heads of State and Government of COMESA. On the sidelines of this summit, she added, there will be other important activities including the Council of Ministers in charge of Cooperation and Affairs of COMESA Member States followed by an economic forum.
On the same occasion, Nijimbere recalled that COMESA programmes respond to the aspirations, initiatives and priorities that are set out in the COMESA Treaty that meet the provisions of the Treaty of the community. She noted that the objectives pursued by this Treaty are mentioned in its Article 3.
Thus, she explained, the latter aim in particular to achieve increased growth and sustainable development of member states, promote the sector likely to raise the level of development of member states and raise economic growth. They also aim at the structural transformation of member states, the creation of an environment conducive to business and investment in these member states as well as the promotion of peace, security and stability which are the conditions for investment in COMESA member states.
Through its strategic plan and programmes, she continued to say, the COMESA secretariat organizes activities and actions aimed at strengthening trade and investment with the aim of achieving the required structural transformation of the economies of member states.
Among the COMESA projects already implemented in Burundi, she cited among others, the regional integration support mechanism where Burundi benefited from the COMESA adjustment facility which helps member states to compensate for revenues due to the implementation of economic liberalization programmes especially the support for the implementation of integration programmes in the COMESA region.
Through the development of trade and services, Nijimbere revealed that Burundi is actively participating in the ongoing negotiation on trade and services while emphasizing that COMESA member states are committed to liberalizing this service sector namely communication, tourism and other services.
With regard to the expectations of this summit, the Minister of Trade mentioned that Burundi will have the chance to chair the summit meetings of heads of state, have responsibilities to host these heads of state, to name but a few.