SOUTH AFRICA AND BURUNDI AGREE TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC RELATIONS

SOUTH AFRICA AND BURUNDI AGREE TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC RELATIONS  

President Jacob Zuma says South African and Burundian businesspeople should improve the bilateral trade between the two countries. He was speaking at the South Africa-Burundi Business Forum in Cape Town.

“Bilateral trade between our two countries has been slowly increasing from 47.7 million rand in 2007 to just over 52 million rand in 2013.The businesspeople from both countries should certainly improve these figures by further exploring opportunities in the two countries,” said the President.

President Zuma said the two countries have a good relationship and also facing the same challenges. President Jacob Zuma, as the then Deputy President of South Africa mediated in stabilising Burundi.

“Our two countries enjoy warm and friendly relations, and this state visit is definitely a meeting of brothers and sisters and friends. Let me congratulate you and the Burundi people for choosing peace and for the progress you have made since the end of the civil war in 2005. As you said during our discussions this morning, Burundi has begun a new struggle, the struggle against poverty. We share this struggle Your Excellency. We are also waging a war on poverty, unemployment and inequality,” he added

The two Presidents signed a Joint Cooperation Commission agreement to enhance economic relations between the two countries. President Zuma said the two countries have to speed up process to implement the agreement.

“We signed a Joint Cooperation Commission agreement earlier today. This important Agreement will enhance cooperation in sectors such as Agriculture, Arts and Culture, Commerce, Education, Politics, Defence, Sports, Mining, Women’s Empowerment, Investment, Health, Science and Technology, Communications, Public Works and Finance. We will be able to build on the work done already in these sectors and be able to steadily grow trade and investments. We have a responsibility to create a better life for our peoples”, further said the President.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies said the South Africa-Burundi Business delegation agreed to work on projects such as rail, rolling stock, ports, housing, energy, and agro-processing. Davies said that the delegation also agreed to look at the possibility of establishing SA-Burundi Business Council and that South Africa will undertake a business mission to Burundi next year.

Both President Zuma and his counterpart, Pierre Nkurunziza, addressed the SA-Burundi Business Forum. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, diplomats and senior government official attended the Forum.