Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Anh Tuan paid a working visit to Burundi from September 13-15, during which he co-chaired the first Vietnam-Burundi political consultation with Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Édouard Bizimana.
While there, Tuan also paid a courtesy call on Révérien Ndikuriyo, Secretary General of the National Council for the Defence of Democracy – Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), and visited Lumitel telecommunications joint venture and the Burundi Coffee Development Office (ODECA).
At the first Vietnam-Burundi political consultation, Tuan and Bizimana shared information on their countries' recent socio-economic development and foreign policies, reviewed the implementation of signed memoranda of understanding, and discussed measures to promote bilateral cooperation. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues.
The two sides noted that bilateral relations have made positive progress, highlighted by the Burundian President's visit to Vietnam in April 2025, the CNDD-FDD Secretary General's visit in July 2026, and the meeting between Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in India on September 13 as well as the successful operation of Lumitel in Burundi.
They shared the view that the two countries have significant potential for cooperation in trade and investment, education and training, agriculture, science and technology, defence equipment, digital transformation, mining and tourism.
The sides agreed to maintain high-level delegation exchanges, mutual support at multilateral mechanisms and forums, and hold political consultations regularly. They pledged to strengthen the legal framework for trade and investment by negotiating and signing agreements on double taxation avoidance and investment promotion and protection.
As the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), Burundi will support Vietnam in further developing substantive relations with the continental organisation. The two sides also agreed to facilitate the expansion of Lumitel's operations, considering the joint venture a highlight in bilateral economic relations.
Tuan proposed that Burundi continue creating favourable conditions for Lumitel to expand from a telecommunications operator into a digital service provider, contributing to the implementation of the Burundi’s Vision 2040-2060. He also called on Burundi to soon adopt appropriate incentives to attract more Vietnamese businesses.
For his part, Bizimana thanked Vietnam for promptly implementing the agreement between the two foreign ministries and sending a delegation to hold the first political consultation. He spoke highly of Vietnam's remarkable achievements after 40 years of Doi Moi (renewal), as well as its political stability and growing international standing, saying Burundi considers Vietnam a development model.
He welcomed the signing of a cooperation document between the two ruling parties, describing it as a solid political foundation for broader bilateral ties. He particularly praised Lumitel's contributions to Burundi's socio-economic development and expressed hope that more Vietnamese businesses would invest in the country.
The Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that Burundi had ratified an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports and would soon officially notify Vietnam.
At the meeting with the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ndikuriyo expressed hope that the memorandum of understanding between the two ruling parties would soon be implemented, particularly in personnel training, experience sharing and studies of Vietnam's socio-economic development model.
During his working trip to Lumitel, Tuan praised the joint venture's business performance, noting its leading market share and contribution to Burundi's State budget. He said Lumitel's success had helped promote Vietnam's image and foster bilateral friendship and cooperation, while expressing hope it would encourage more Vietnamese enterprises to invest in Burundi.
At the working session with ODECA, Tuan discussed a proposal to connect the Burundian agency with Vietnamese coffee associations and businesses to promote exports of Burundi's Arabica coffee to Vietnam.
ODECA leaders said Burundian coffee is internationally recognised for its quality and is among the country's key exports, but its consumer markets remain unstable. Tuan supported the proposal for a Burundian business delegation to visit Vietnam to explore the market, promote its products and exchange experience in improving productivity and quality and building coffee brands globally./.
