Source: Kingdom of Belgium - Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation |

Alexander De Croo meets with Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 17, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ --

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo met in Brussels today with Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso. Minister of Homeland Security Simon Compaoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Alpha Barry and Minister of Economy, Finance and Development Rosine Sori-Coulibaly also attended the meeting.


Minister De Croo congratulated President Kaboré for the democratic transition in Burkina Faso. Local elections took place in Burkina Faso in May. They were held in a quiet environment, as were the parliamentary and presidential elections of November. 

Minister De Croo also discussed with President Kaboré the progress of the new cooperation between Belgium and Burkina Faso. Last year, the federal government decided on the proposal of Minister De Croo to include Burkina Faso as a new partner country of the Belgian Development Cooperation. With this decision, Belgium would support the democratization process in Burkina Faso, improve human rights and contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country and of the Burkinese people.

Kickstart of the bilateral cooperation

The new Belgian-Burkinese cooperation will have two phases: (1) a start-up program and (2) a cooperation program. This approach should ensure that the new cooperation will bring rapidly concrete results for the Burkinese people. 

At the end of February, two interventions were signed in the framework of the start-up program: a drinking water project in Fado N’Gourma in the east of Burkina Faso (10 million euro) and an initiative to strengthen the sexual and reproductive rights of women, implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

The second phase of the cooperation is currently under preparation. It concerns in particular the development of a substantial cooperation program, to be signed next year and valid for a 4-year period (2018-2021). 

Situation Sahel region

Minister De Croo and President Kaboré also discussed the security situation in the Sahel. Belgium is heavily involved in the region. With a contribution of 10 million euro, our country is the second most important donor to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. This Fund has been set up by the European Commission to promote economic opportunities, security and development in the Sahel region amongst others, with the aim of tackling the root causes of forced and illegal migration.

Next week, Minister De Croo will bring a visit to Mali and Niger, two other countries in the Sahel region. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Belgium - Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.