Uganda, Burundi to strengthen ties at third Joint Permanent Commission meeting

Uganda and the Republic of Burundi will between March 22 and 24, 2022 hold the third session of the Joint Permanent Commission Meeting scheduled to take place in Bujumbura.

According to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting  will help to further bolster the excellent cordial bilateral relations between both countries with the aim of reviewing cooperation in various sectors of diplomatic and political consultations, trade and investment, education, health, agriculture,  transport and infrastructural development and  defence among others.

“Uganda and Burundi enjoy excellent bilateral relations which are historic in nature founded on shared principles of Pan Africanism and regional integration. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established soon after both countries attained Independence and general cooperation agreement was signed in 1986,”a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

“These bilateral relations are being pursued under a Joint Permanent Commission, which is a cooperation framework that guides implementation of decisions agreed upon in various sectors.”

According to officials, the  meeting  will review the implementation status of decisions of the second  Joint Permanent Commission session which was held in 1991 clustered in the sectors of political and diplomatic consultations, transport and infrastructure development, economic considerations of trade, investment and industry, and other productive sectors.

Both Uganda and Burundi have regularly renewed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with exchange of high level visits with the most recent official state visit of President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi in May last year  in Kampala at the invitation of President Museveni

Officials says the visit afforded an opportunity to both Heads of State to deliberate on matters of trade investment, peace and security, infrastructural development as well as issues of common concern in the regional and international fora.

Consequently, this week’s meeting lay strategies for fast tracking implementation of decisions of the two heads of state during Ndayishimiye’s visit.

As part of the meeting, the first ever Uganda- Burundi business forum will take place on March,23, 2022 on the sidelines of the Joint Permanent Commission Meeting.

The main objective of the business forum will be to identify opportunities available in both countries for trade and investment as well as identify obstacles with the view to address them .

According to statistics from the Ministry of Tradeby 2021, Uganda’s exports to Burundi were estimated at over $ 50 million having increased from $ 37.03million in 2019.

The major Ugandan firms in Burundi which had a significant presence include MOVIT, MOGAS, Steel and Tube, Millennium International Academy, Virat Alloys (former Sembule Steel), Plascon Paints, Perfect Signs International, Future Media, Radio 10, and Brand Fusion.