On June 6, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met with Second Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi Joseph Butore, who led his country’s delegation at the 21^st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The meeting took place at the Foreign Ministry.  

The parties held an involved discussion of current issues relating to the continued development of all the aspects of Russian-Burundian relations, confirming Moscow and Bujumbura’s commitment to maintaining the pro-active, trust-based political dialogue and stepping up mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, as well as in the economic, humanitarian and other areas.

The officials noted that Russia’s and Burundi’s approaches to global and regional issues were similar or close. They were unanimous in their support for building a polycentric system of international relations with the UN at its centre. The parties also highlighted the importance of using political and diplomatic tools to put an end to conflicts in Africa with the active involvement of African interstate associations, including the African Union.