General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the afternoon of April 4 welcomed President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye during his official visit to Vietnam, a move expected to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries.

General Secretary To Lam praised the visit as a significant milestone in enhancing ties between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Burundi’s ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy – Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), as well as between the two nations.

He emphasized that Vietnam and Burundi share many similarities and common development goals, having both overcome the devastation of war to achieve independence, peace, and national reconstruction.

Vietnam values its relationship with African friends, including Burundi, and wishes to advance bilateral cooperation in areas such as investment, agriculture, mining, technology, digital transformation, and leadership development.

The General Secretary urged Burundi to continue supporting the Viettel joint venture in the country by providing favorable conditions for its efficient operation - contributing to economic growth in both nations.

Vietnam, with its strengths in agriculture, mining, and telecommunications, is willing to cooperate and support Burundi in these sectors, while exploring new areas of collaboration in the near future.

President Ndayishimiye: Vietnam is a trusted friend and inspiration

On his first official visit to Vietnam, President Ndayishimiye expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm and respectful welcome from Vietnam’s Party and State leaders.

He expressed admiration for Vietnam’s remarkable development achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party, which he described as an inspiration for Burundi’s nation-building efforts.

President Ndayishimiye emphasized Burundi’s strong desire to foster cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as investment, science and technology, agriculture, and education. He confirmed that Burundi is ready to create all favorable conditions for Viettel’s telecommunications joint venture to operate effectively - not only as a symbol of bilateral investment but also as a vital bridge between the two nations.

The leaders of both ruling parties agreed to promote regular exchanges and mutual understanding, encouraging youth and women’s organizations from both sides to engage in activities that deepen friendship and cooperation.

They welcomed the signing of several cooperation documents during the visit and instructed relevant agencies to expedite negotiations for further agreements to improve the legal framework for bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets President Ndayishimiye

During a separate meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted the special significance of the visit, as Vietnam and Burundi prepare to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2025, alongside Vietnam’s own milestones - the 50th anniversary of reunification and the 80th anniversary of statehood.

President Ndayishimiye expressed his joy at meeting Prime Minister Chinh again and seeing firsthand Vietnam’s historic progress. He described Vietnam as a close and reliable partner of Burundi in Asia, and appreciated the Prime Minister’s strong commitment to promoting bilateral ties.

Both leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, while expanding into new areas including agriculture, mining, tourism, infrastructure, construction materials, and hydropower.

On multilateral cooperation, they pledged to strengthen coordination and mutual support on regional and international issues at global forums and organizations.

Drawing from nearly four decades of experience in global integration, Prime Minister Chinh affirmed Vietnam’s willingness to share its development expertise with Burundi in areas of mutual interest - particularly in policy reform, industrialization, agriculture, education, and livestock production.

The two sides committed to accelerating negotiations and finalizing legal agreements that will facilitate expanded cooperation in the years ahead.

Tran Thuong