Burundi expects a lot from cooperation with Russia in the agribusiness sector, Director General of the Burundi Development Agency, Dr. Réverien Nizigiyimana, told Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2024.
Nizigiyimana outlined the most promising directions for this partnership:
1.
Burundi is counting on Russia for technical expertise and infrastructure financing to "boost economic growth" in the country;2.
The African country, which ranks first on the world market for the quality of its coffee, could also benefit from Russian assistance in "overcoming the challenges of meeting quality standards in order to be able to export coffee;"3.
Burundi expects investments in the sector so that "coffee, which is traditionally exported in its raw state, can be processed locally, creating more added value and employment."All this will contribute to the African country's government's vision of Burundi as an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060, Nizigiyimana expressed hope.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address SPIEF 2024, which will run from June 5 to 8.