Burundi President to visit SA

Friday, October 31, 2014

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will next week host the President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, who will be on a two-day State visit to South Africa.

“President Zuma and President Nkurunziza are expected to discuss further cooperation in priority areas such as trade, health, arts and culture, mining, agriculture, higher education and defence,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.

President Nkurunziza will be in Cape Town from 4 – 5 November. This will be his first state visit to the country since he took office in 2005.

“It is expected that two bilateral agreements will be signed during the visit.

“The two Presidents are also expected to use the occasion of the state visit to exchange views in respect of developments at regional level, both with regard to the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, as well as discuss broad issues affecting the continent within the context of the African Union,” said Monyela.

A South Africa-Burundi Business Forum, aimed at increasing trade and investment between the two countries, will meet in Cape Town on 4 November.

Monyela said President Zuma and President Nkurunziza are also expected to discuss enhanced cooperation in dealing with multilateral issues such as the reform of global institutions of governance including the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

He said South Africa actively supported Burundi’s quest for peace and democracy a few years ago.

In 2000, President Zuma took over from former late President Nelson Mandela as the mediator in the Burundi peace talks.

He led the protracted but successful mediation process, which led to a resolution of the Burundi conflict and the ushering in of a new government in 2005.

“The highlights of the mediation process, led by President Zuma, included a key achievement for the African continent, the deployment of South African peacekeeping troops in Burundi for seven years.

“This became the first ever African Union peacekeeping force,” Monyela said.

He said the visit would further enhance existing cordial relations between the two countries. – SAnews.gov.za