Burundi’s Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro criticized increasing unilateralism and the lack of global solidarity, attributing many conflicts to misinformation and geopolitical power struggles.
He condemned attaching political conditions to development aid and stressed the need for international cooperation to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Shingiro highlighted Burundi’s plan to become a developed country by 2060, focusing on economic independence through mining and agriculture.
“Through structural changes and a raft of other development plans, Burundi will be a country of peace with a competitive economy through mining and agriculture, in respect not only of its natural environment but also gender equity.” he said.
He also addressed regional terrorism in the region, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to cooperating with partners, namely Somalia, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to re-establish peace in the region.
