Baird Meets with Burundian Counterpart

OTTAWA, Canada, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — At the invitation of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation of Burundi, Laurent Kavakure, paid a visit to Canada.

The two ministers took the opportunity to strengthen ties between Canada and Burundi. They discussed Burundi’s important contribution to the UN and the African Union’s peace operations, as well as key issues of regional and international security.

The ministers also discussed the political situation in Burundi, which will be holding general elections in 2015. Baird was keen to stress the importance of protecting the progress made since the signing in 2000 of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi, and encouraged a constructive dialogue between the government, political parties and all sectors of Burundian society.

The ministers expressed their willingness to work to strengthen relations between the two countries by encouraging the formation of partnerships between companies, institutions and individuals, including through the Burundian community in Canada, one of the three largest in the world.

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