Written by: Hussein Ahmed

On Saturday, May 9, Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, met with Nestor Ntahuntuyi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Burundi, on the sidelines of the opening of the new headquarters of Senghor University in Alexandria.

The meeting came within the framework of strengthening bilateral relations between Egypt and Burundi, in addition to discussing African issues of common interest, especially with Burundi assuming the presidency of the African Union.

During the meeting, Minister Abdel-Aty emphasized the deep historical ties between Egypt and Burundi, noting the importance of strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two countries to contribute to stability and development in the region. The Minister explained that the meeting also addressed ways to enhance partnerships in education, culture, and science, in line with the shared goals of African nations and to strengthen ties between the peoples of the continent.

Relations between Egypt and Burundi

For his part, the Prime Minister of Burundi expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s pivotal role in the African continent, stressing his country’s keenness to enhance cooperation with Cairo in various fields, especially in light of its pioneering experience in supporting sustainable development efforts and economic reforms.

Ntahuntuyi noted that Burundi's presidency of the African Union represents an opportunity to deepen African coordination and joint action to advance the development and peace agenda on the continent.

The meeting also addressed the priorities of the African continent in the coming period, including strengthening food security, encouraging investment, supporting infrastructure projects, and enhancing cooperation in the energy and water sectors. Minister Abdel-Aty affirmed Egypt's readiness to support any efforts aimed at achieving stability and prosperity in African countries.

He noted that Egypt attaches great importance to activating multilateral cooperation through the African Union and other organizations on the continent.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to continue dialogue and joint coordination to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and support African regional cooperation efforts, affirming their commitment to continuing to work towards advancing bilateral relations towards broader and more influential horizons at the regional and international levels.