MUKAZA, April 7 (ABP) – The ministry of foreign affairs, regional integration and development cooperation is establishing itself as a pillar of Burundi’s influence on the international stage, ABP learned on Friday, April 3, 2026, during the presentation of its semiannual achievements covering the period from October 2025 to March 2026.
The supervising minister, Edouard Bizimana, emphasized that the achievements of the past six months are based on four main areas: monitoring the country’s interests internationally, protecting Burundians living abroad, preserving national sovereignty, and promoting the country’s image among nations.
Speaking on Burundi’s foreign policy in the face of situations prevailing in Africa and around the world, Minister Bizimana indicated that the country continues to reaffirm its position, which consists of encouraging the parties concerned to prioritize dialogue and negotiation in order to reach peaceful solutions.
Regarding Burundians traveling abroad in search of employment, the minister of foreign affairs stated that he has signed agreements with specialized Burundian agencies. Around sixty of them are currently operational, while an amount of 400 million BIF has already been paid into the Public Treasury account, he specified.
He pointed out that within the framework of bilateral cooperation, the ministry has negotiated and signed various agreements with bilateral partners. He mentioned, among others, the memorandum of understanding between the government of the Republic of Burundi and the government of the United States of America in the field of health, signed on February 6, 2026, and an agreement between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Government of the Angola concerning visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, signed on February 15, 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the African Union summit.
The head of Burundian diplomacy also indicated that he proceeded, on February 15, 2026 in Addis Ababa, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government of Burundi and the government of the Jordan on the recruitment of Burundian domestic workers. The ministry also ensures the follow-up of the implementation of signed agreements. In this regard, Dr. Bizimana revealed that he supervised the handover of documents relating to humanitarian aid offered to Burundi to meet the needs of victims of the Gatumba floods.
Over the past six months, Bizimana continued, the ministry also received a Chinese delegation as part of the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which took place in September 2024.
He further revealed that Burundi received 146 scholarships granted by its partner countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Morocco, India and Algeria. On this occasion, he encouraged Burundian beneficiaries of these scholarships to demonstrate patriotism by returning to the country after their training in order to apply the knowledge acquired, stressing that a nation is built by its sons and daughters.
The head of Burundian diplomacy also thanked media professionals for their role in society, particularly highlighting their efforts to inform the population about the various activities and achievements of the ministry of foreign affairs, regional integration and development cooperation.