Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov touched down on his first working visit to Burundi, in the country's largest city of Bujumbura, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
In the East African nation, Lavrov is expected to hold a series of meetings with the country's leadership.
Burundi is a small country in East Africa bordering Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bujumbura served as the capital of the country from 1962 to 2019. Now the capital of Burundi is the city of Gitega, but Bujumbura remains the nation's economic center.
The top Russian diplomat has never visited this African country before.
Previously, the diplomacy chief traveled to Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo last July. Six months later, in January 2023, the minister went to South Africa, Eswatini, Angola and Eritrea, and in February he visited Mali, Mauritania and Sudan.
In March, Foreign Minister of Burundi Albert Shingiro paid a visit to the Russian resort city of Sochi and held talks with Lavrov. At the press conference, Russia's chief diplomat said that the countries are preparing an intergovernmental agreement on the peaceful use of atomic energy. In addition, Russia and Burundi are cooperating in the area of law enforcement, and ties are developing with regard to the military and military-technical spheres.
In Sochi, the parties agreed to improve the contractual and legal framework of relations, including in the field of healthcare, and cooperation between their justice, and labor agencies.
Shingiro, in turn, said that Burundi is ready to further strengthen cooperation with Russia, including in the military sphere.
Moreover, President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye has officially confirmed his participation in the upcoming Russia-Africa summit, scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg in July, Lavrov announced.
