Burundi
India and Burundi enjoy cordial and friendly relations. The opening of Burundi’s resident mission in New Delhi in 2009 and progressive interactions between political leaderships of the two countries have lent importance and direction to the relationship.
Capacity Building & Other Exchanges
- Under Africa Scholarship Scheme of ICCR, Burundi has been offered with 10 scholarship slots for the Academic Year 2023-24.
- Vocational Training Centre inaugurated in 2016.
- 40 short capacity building courses under ITEC.
Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)
- Government of India has extended a Line of Credit of US$ 80 million for the 20MW Kabu hydro-electric project. In this regard, an agreement between the EXIM Bank of India and the Government of Burundi was signed in May, 2011. The project is likely to be completed by October 2023.
- Two LoCs between India and Burundi for construction of its Parliament building in Gitega [USD 102.27 million] and (ii) construction of two Ministerial buildings in Bujumbura [USD 59.09 million] signed in July 2019 between EXIM Bank of India and Burundian side. Further process is underway for selection of Project Management Consultant).
Cooperation in New and Emerging Area
- A project to build and equip a centre for HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and treatment was completed in December 2012. The Centre provides various health-care services, covering reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal care and family planning.
- 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 to be established in Burundi. These are expected to provide low-cost sustainable electricity in villages by powering a gas engine.
- At IAFS-II, India also offered, among other things, eight Farm Science Centers (FSCs). 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.
- Under IAFS-I, India offered eight Vocational Training Centers (VTCs); one each to the eight RECs. Burundi was nominated as one of the countries to host the VTC. The centre was inaugurated in December 2016. It imparts vocational training to people from the region to enable them to be gainfully employed or become entrepreneurs.
- A tele-medicine centre and a tele-education centre were set up in Bujumbura in 2010 under the first phase of Pan-African E- Network Project. The project aims to provide quality and real-time medical care and education from India at a fraction of cost.
- India gifted medicines worth US $ 1.1 million to Burundi in September 2019.
- Gift of 100,000 NCERT text books was handed over to the Education Ministry of Burundi in March 2020.
