Signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita and the Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Mr. Albert Shingiro, this cooperation roadmap also marks the ambition of the two countries to strengthen their bilateral relations, based on mutual respect and by developing a solid partnership and active solidarity.  The roadmap was prepared during the visit to Bujumbura on February 8 and 9, 2021 of a high-level Moroccan delegation, chaired by the Ambassador Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, accompanied by the Ambassador Director of African Affairs at the Ministry. 

At the end of this visit to Bujumbura, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Burundi agreed to work to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in several areas, notably education and training, technical cooperation, security cooperation, economic promotion and investments, international financing and the exchange of official visits.  According to this cooperation roadmap, the Moroccan side is ready to provide assistance and share its expertise with the Republic of Burundi in the said areas, through the organization of learning-visits in Morocco for the benefit of senior Burundian officials and the granting of scholarships for students and trainees from Burundi in Moroccan public higher establishments. 

In addition, the Kingdom is tasked with organizing capacity building programs for the benefit of senior officials from Burundi in various fields, sending Moroccan experts from various sectors and delegations of Moroccan operators to Burundi to develop win-win business partnerships with local operators and promoting different investment opportunities with a view to carrying out joint projects in priority sectors for the Republic of Burundi. 

Morocco also undertakes to support the Republic of Burundi in preparing documents related to the development of infrastructure or strategic projects for the country and in obtaining support from regional and international funding organizations with which the Kingdom of Morocco have relations.  The signing of this document took place during a meeting between Shingiro and MFA Bourita, during which the two officials were able to explore the prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation by identifying new aspects to broaden cooperation programs to be implemented by the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Burundi. 

On this occasion, the two parties welcomed the feelings of esteem and mutual respect existing between HM King Mohammed VI and HE Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi.  The two ministers also underlined the quality of the existing political relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Burundi, which remain imbued with fraternity and solidarity.  They also reaffirmed the firm will of the two countries to diversify and consolidate cooperation in several areas and selected a number of actions to be carried out jointly, as part of the achievement of the set objectives. 

Speaking at a press briefing after the signature, MFA Bourita said that the establishment of this roadmap, which enumerate the priority areas of cooperation, comes thanks to the will of the two heads of State to foster the fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Burundi.  "We have also agreed to revive the institutional cooperation mechanisms, regarding diplomatic and political consultations and the Joint Committee which will meet very soon", said the minister, adding that a Moroccan multi-sectoral mission will travel to Bujumbura before the end of March to start implementing this roadmap. 

MFA Bourita pointed out that a technical team will visit Burundi next week to begin the procedures for opening a Moroccan embassy in the Burundian capital.  "We are today at the start of a new phase in our bilateral relations," said MFA Bourita, noting that it is a "better structured phase, with richer content and tangible results for the benefit of the two fraternal peoples". 

For his part, the Burundian top official stressed that this roadmap includes "very specific" areas of cooperation, referring in this respect to his talks with MFA Bourita which focused, in particular, on means to strengthen the relations of cooperation and friendship between the two peoples of Morocco and Burundi.  "We said to ourselves that we must go beyond human-to-human relations to bolster ties between our two peoples," he said.