India-Burundi Relations
India’s bilateral relations with Burundi have been cordial and are marked by developmental assistance and capacity building initiatives offered by Government of India to Burundi. Burundi has been vocal in expressing its full support for a permanent membership for India in an expanded UN Security Council (UNSC).
The High Commission of India in Kampala, Uganda is concurrently accredited asto Burundi. In 2009 Burundi established its Embassy in New Delhi and posted a resident Ambassador to New Delhi in 2010.
High-level Visits:
HE President Pierre Nkurunziza paid a state visit to India from in September, 2012.
Mr. BarnabeMbonimpa, Minister of Public Health visited India in December 2005 to attend the GAVI’s (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) 3rd Partner’s Meeting held at New Delhi. Mr. AdrienNyakiye, Chief Justice of Burundi, visited India in December 2005 to attend a conference in Lucknow.
Defence Minister Maj. Gen. GermainNiyoyankana, on a private visit to India in May 2006, met Hon’ble MOS for Defence, Shri M.M. PallamRajuin May 2006. Second Vice-President of Burundi, H.E. (Mrs.) Marine Barampama visited India in October 2006 and was the
As a first high level visit to Burundi from Ministry of External Affairs, Smt. PreneetKaur, Hon. Minister of State for External Affairs, MOS (PK), visited Burundi from 17-18 February 2012. During the visit,MOS (PK) called on H.E. the President of Burundi. She met the Burundi’s Foreign Minister and held detailed discussions onenhancing India-Burundi relationship. A General Cooperation Agreement was signed during the visit. The MOS was accompanied by a large Indian business delegation which held meetings with Burundian business leaders.
Foreign Minister of Burundi, Mr. AugustinNsanze, visited India in March 2010 to participate in the CII-Exim Bank India-Africa Partnership Summit. During the visit, the Foreign Minister met Dr. ShashiTharoor, the then Minister of State for External Affairs, on the sidelines of the Partnership Summit, and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
During Secretary (West)’s visit to Kampala for the African Union (AU) Summit in July 2010, he met the Foreign Minister of Burundi in the sidelines of the Summit and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
H.E. the President of Burundi, Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza, was on a private visit to India in September 2010 for medical treatment. Secretary (West) paid a courtesy call on the President on 21.9.2010 and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
Foreign Minister of Burundi, Mr. Augustin Nsanze, again visited India for the LDC Ministerial Conference from 18-19 February 2011. He met EAM on 17thof February 2011 and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
Second Vice President Mr. Gervais Rufyikiri led a business delegation to the 9th CII Exim Bank Conclave to New Delhi in March, 2013.
Dr. Rose Gahiru, Hon.Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Govt. of Burundi travelled to India in June 2013 to meet officials of NSIC in connection with setting-up of a Vocation Training Centre (VTC/IC) in Bujumbura. She also made a courtesy call on the then MoS for HRD, ShriShashiTharoor
Mrs. Kayitesi Odette, Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Burundi visited India in February 2014 to participate in Asia-Africa Agribusiness Forum organised by FICCI.
Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development Planning, Mr. Tabu Abdallah Manirakiza, travelled to India in February 2014 to sign two LOC agreements with Exim Bank of India. The first agreement was for a US$ 4.22 million LOC for a Farm Mechanization project, and the second was for US$ 0.17 million for preparation of a Detailed Project Report for an Integrated Food Processing Complex in Burundi.
Bilateral Development Partnership:
India’s engagement with Burundi is at three levels viz. at the African Union (AU) level, at level of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and at the bilateral level. Indian assistance to Burundi has been guided mainly by the announcements made by India at the India-Africa Forum Summits in 2008 and 2011.
Following the first India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-I), Burundi was nominated by the AU to host the India-Africa Vocational Training Centre (VTC). The Centre has been completed, operationalized and handed over to the Burundian authorities in April 2014 after training them.
India is also setting-up a pan-African institute, India-Africa Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IAIEPA) under its commitments at IAFS-I. The necessary civil works are almost complete. The implementing agencies expect ready the Institute for inauguration by January 2015.
India has offered to set-up an Information Technology Centre in Burundi. An MOU for setting up an IT Centre in Burundi was signed in April 2010 between the two Governments.Preparations for setting up the IT Centre are underway.
India has offered Burundi an US$ 4.22 million LOC for a Farm Mechanization project. Another LOC of US$ 0.17 million has been offered for preparation of a Detailed Project Report for a US$ 38.16 million Integrated Food Processing Complex in Burundi.
Government of India has extended a Line of Credit of US$ 80 million for the 20MW Kabu hydro-electric project. An agreement between the EXIM Bank of India and the Government of Burundi was signed in May, 2011. H.E. Mr. GervaisRufyikiri, Vice President of Burundi laid the foundation stone in August 2012. The project is now proposed to be enhanced to 30 MW at an additional cost of US$ 69.86 million. The Detailed Project Report for the enhancement has been submitted to the Burundian Ministry of Energy, and its comments are awaited. Meanwhile, the work on the original project is ongoing.
At the second India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-II) in Government of India announced 40 biomass gasifier systems, out of which a cluster bio-mass gasifier system is being established in Burundi. These are expected to provide low cost sustainable electricity in villages by powering a gas engine. A team of experts from the implementing agency in India is expected to visit Burundi soon to undertake feasibility studies for the project.
At IAFS-II, India also offered, among other things, eight Farm Science Centres (FSCs), one each for the 8 RECs. FSC is an innovative institution of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) which has played a pivotal role in application of technology at farm levels in India since 1974. Burundi has been selected by the East African Community for hosting one such FSC. A team from India would be visiting Burundi soon for inspection of the sites proposed by Burundi side for setting-up the centre.
Based on a request from the Government of Burundi, two consignments of medicines worth over US dollars four hundred thousand ($437,547/-) were supplied to Burundi in June and July 2010 for distribution in refugee camps within Burundi.
Government of India released a grant assistance of US$ 100,000 to help the Burundian Permanent Mission in New York function effectively in the face of a financial crisis faced by the Burundian Government due to fire at its major revenue-earning market in Bujumbura.
India also extended an assistance of US$ 100,000 as a disaster relief to Burundi in the aftermath of the February 2014 floods.
Under the Pan-Africa e-Network project, tele-medicine and tele-education centers were established at in Burundi in 2010 with an aim to enable Burundian doctors to consult their Indian counterparts, and ensure high quality medical consultation and treatment for patients; and to ensure quality education at subsidized cost for Burundian students.
In the last few years India has emerged as a major centre for education and medical treatment for Burundians. In 2014, Indian High Commission in Kampala, concurrently accredited to Burundi, issued 205 medical-related visas to Burundian nationals. Over the last three years 447 student visas were issued to Burundian students.
Every year, the Government of India offers scholarships and fellowships to Burundian nationals from the public and private sector to enable them to pursue fullypaid under-graduate, graduate, post-graduate and research courses in India. 40 such scholarships are being offered to Burundi during 2014-15. In addition to these, several short-term fully-funded training courses will be offered to Burundian under IAFS. In the current academic year i.e. since April 2014, 28 Burundian candidates travelled to India for various fully-sponsored short-term and long-term courses.
Economic and Commercial Relations
India’s trade with Burundi is very modest, with the total bilateral trade for 2013-14 being US$ 30.89 million. The balance of trade is heavily skewed in favour of India, with Indian exports to Burundi in the same period amounting to US$ 30.71 million. However, Burundi is also poised to benefit from the Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme extended by India to Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
[In US$ million; source: Ministry of Commerce, GoI]
| YEAR | Exports from India | Imports from Burundi | Total Trade |
| 2013-2014 | 30.71 | 0.18 | 30.89 |
| 2012-2013 | 32.67 | 0.23 | 32.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 24.12 | 0.6 | 24.72 |
| 2010-2011 | 16.12 | 0.24 | 16.36 |
| 2009-2010 | 12.24 | 0.73 | 13.37 |
The main items that India exports to Burundi are pharmaceuticals and chemicals, machinery and instruments, plastic and linoleum products, transport equipments, rubber manufactured products and chemicals. The main items that India imports from Burundi are non-electrical machinery, iron and steel.
Indian Community:
About 350 PIOs and Indian nationals are estimated to be in Burundi, most of them traders and businessmen. The Burundian government as well as the people appreciates their role in the country’s economy. Some PIOs enjoy high statusin the country and have direct access to senior officials in the Burundian government. The total investment by Indian/PIO owned entities in Burundi is approximately more than USD 20 million. Some of the prominent Indian/PIO owned companies doing business in Burundi are Angelique International Ltd (power sector), Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (irrigation), Lucky Exports Ltd (traders of agro –based commodities and minerals, Contec Global Burundi (e-Passports, e-Visas, resident permits, driving licenses, vehicle registrations, national IDs and all related security documents), Akagera Business Group (Diversified operations established by Gorajia Brothers). Bajaj and TVS have their local dealers in Burundi for the sale of motor-bikes and auto-rickshaws. Tandoor is a famous Indian restaurant, based in Bujumbura.
Note: Content for this article provided by IAFS.in
India-Burundi Relations
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