Morocco, faithful to its South-South cooperation policy, reaffirmed its commitment to Burundi through the intervention of Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador-Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), at the head of the Moroccan delegation. He stressed that Moroccan cooperation with Burundi is part of the strategic orientations defined by King Mohammed VI, who advocates supportive and active cooperation between African countries. According to Methqal, this cooperation is based on balanced partnerships, based on mutual respect, and aims to improve the well-being of African populations.
“Morocco is committed to providing its support to Burundi, in line with the priority axes set by Vision 2040-2060. The substantial cooperation that already exists between the two countries will be optimized and strengthened even further, while ensuring that the human element is kept at the center of its deployment,” declared Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador-Director General of the Moroccan Development Agency. cooperation (AMCI), at the head of a strong delegation of economic operators.
According to him, relations between the two countries are strengthening and diversifying over the years for the good of both peoples. And this, despite a distance of 8,000 km separating Burundi from Morocco.
Proof, according to him, that fraternity and solidarity are not a function of geographical proximity or interests.
“By capitalizing on all the achievements of the cooperation roadmap between Burundi and Morocco over the period 2021-2024, the Kingdom will work in partnership with all Burundian actors, public and private, to implement is implementing a new roadmap for the period 2025-2027 which will be in line with the spirit of the Burundi 2040-2060 vision,” he mentioned, recalling moreover some results of this cooperation.
Morocco is ready to welcome 1,500 new Burundian scholarship holders by 2040 in its universities, schools, etc.
Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador-Director General of the Moroccan Cooperation Agency, indicated that the 324 Burundian laureates who benefited from scholarships in Moroccan universities, currently offer a solid human basis for long-term fraternal relations between the two country. “Today, 199 Burundian scholarship holders are pursuing training in Morocco in sectors as diverse as they are crucial for the development of Vision Burundi 2040-2060 such as health, medicine, engineering, science and technology. vocational training.”
Thus, as part of the new vision Burundi Emerging Country in 2040 and Burundi Developed Country in 2060, Mohamed Methqal announced that the Kingdom of Morocco is committed to welcoming by 2040, 1,500 new Burundian students on scholarships in Moroccan universities and 500 new scholarship students in professional training.
He also mentioned technical cooperation actions, exchanges in favor of hundreds of Burundian executives, supported by Morocco to carry out training courses in key sectors identified jointly, such as diplomacy, customs, fishing. and agriculture, health, housing and town planning, infrastructure and transport, water and electrification.
“In this last area, extensive cooperation could be deployed between the National Office of Water and Electricity (ONEE Editor’s note) and the Burundian authorities, in order to diagnose needs and establish an action plan. in terms of technical assistance,” he said, affirming that the agricultural sector, which guarantees the food security of populations, is also of central interest for Burundi. “Bilateral cooperation will also be increased in this area,” he promised.
Logistics, banking, finance, mining…
Other areas will not be forgotten. According to him, Burundi will be able to benefit from Moroccan experiences in the field of logistics, road or airport. “Relations between the two countries must also be reflected at the level of economic exchanges and investments, especially since Morocco and Burundi are full of enormous potential for promising economic opportunities.”
And there, private operators, Moroccan and Burundian investors should play an important role in the development of bilateral economic relations, he called on while pleading for concrete partnerships, whether in the banking and financial fields, agriculture and fishing, vocational training, mines, infrastructure, water and electricity or renewable energies.
“Moroccan banking and financial players will be able to support Burundi in mobilizing financing, attracting foreign investors and developing partnerships with international economic operators.”
Concerning the mining sector, he specified that Moroccan mining operators, public or private, with proven know-how, will also be available to support the development of this sector in Burundi. Morocco is ready to put its expertise in professional training, electricity or renewable energy at the service of the development of Burundi.
At this round table, the Moroccan delegation included several officials; representatives of ministries, public establishments, private sector companies and banking and financial players.
These are the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the Ministry of Tourism, Crafts, Social and Solidarity Economy, the Ministry of Regional Planning National, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, the Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments and Exports, the Office of Professional Training and Promotion of Labor, the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, the Moroccan Society of Tourist Engineering, the OCP Group, the Group Al Omrane, BANK OF Africa, Attijariwafa Bank, as well as the African Chamber of Commerce and Service-Dakhla.
From subsistence agriculture to an industrial economy
“The purpose of the vision is to improve the living conditions of the population and reduce inequalities through the transformation of the Burundian economy which is strongly dominated by agricultural transformation where the sector represents more than 30% to the detriment of the sector industrial which represents 17%,” confided Alain Ndikumana, Director of the Office of Strategic Studies and Development. In an interview with AFRIMAG, during this round table, Alain Ndikumana specified that the final objective is to be able to move from this agricultural, subsistence economy to an industrial economy where it creates decent jobs. “This will improve the living conditions of the population,” he mentioned, noting that Vision 2040-2060 is based on five pillars.
According to him, this is the commitment of the State; economic efficiency; social equity; safeguarding the environment and preserving culture as well as mobilizing a fruitful partnership.
Regarding the financing of this Vision, Mr. Ndikumana indicated that it is through the revised National Development Plan (PND) that we must rely. He thus specified that for the period 2023-2027, the necessary budget over 5 years is 28.8 billion US dollars. “We have already mobilized 4.52 billion US dollars with traditional partners. And if we add the revenue already mobilized at the national level, we are at almost 6 billion dollars available. We therefore still need to mobilize around $22 billion.”
To those who speak of a poor business climate in the country, Mr. Ndikumana wanted to emphasize that the path towards development or emergence is not a straight line that is drawn. “Certainly there are challenges but there are a lot of things that are being done. There are reforms at the macroeconomic level, the liberalization of exchange rates, etc..”
A promising future for Burundi and Morocco
The round table of development partners and private investors in December 2024 helped lay the foundations for strengthened cooperation between Morocco and Burundi, within the framework of Vision 2040-2060. Thanks to this South-South cooperation, the two countries will be able to achieve their respective ambitions for economic, social and environmental development. By joining forces, the two countries will open up new prospects for sustainable growth, conducive to the emergence of Africa as a whole.
From our permanent correspondent in Bujumbura for East Africa: Rénovat Ndabashinze
Par Rénovat I set them upEditorial Committee
