SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF BURUNDI SENATE, RIGHT HONOURABLE EMMANUEL SINZOHAGERA, ON THE SIDELINES OF HIS OFFICIAL MISSION IN EGYPT, IN MARCH 2023

                                                                                     Cairo, March 5, 2023

Your Excellency Right Honourable Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable First Deputy Speaker of the Senate of thevArab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable Senators;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

1. It is with a great pleasure that we take this opportunity to take the floor in order to thank God the Almighty who guided us as a delegation up to your beautiful country, Egypt.

• We are delighted with the warm welcome and hospitality extended to us upon our arrival here in your beautiful country.

• We are convinced that this official visit to this charming land of Egypt will be an opportunity to discuss issues of common interest, shared by the people of Burundi and the people of Egypt, particularly in the areas of health, education, trade, transport, communication, environment, agriculture and livestock.

• Undoubtedly, this visit could be a prelude to strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two legislative institutions. Indeed, as Egypt is recognized as more experienced in parliamentary activities than our country, it will surely be a privileged moment to strengthen and exchange our parliamentary experiences.

• For a long time, Burundi and Egypt maintain good relations thanks to the joint management of the waters of the Nile River, the southernmost source of which is in Burundi. During our visit, we plan to discuss with you the management of water resources and environmental protection.

• This visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt comes to materialize the recognition of the Burundian Senate of the unconditional support of your country to Burundi within international organizations. By way of thanks, the Senate of the Republic of Burundi will do its utmost to support Egypt in the concert of Nations in general and in particular with regard to the proper use of the waters of the Nile and the protection of the environment.

Your Excellency Right Honourable Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable First Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt;

Honourable Senators;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

• In its perspective of regenerating nature and improving the environmental, social and economic conditions of the country, Burundi launched in November 2017 the ‘EWE BURUNDI URAMBAYE project’, a project which aims to reduce in a very significant way the effects of deforestation and climate change. In addition, Burundi is in the process of making its economy more dynamic through the development of the agricultural, energy and industrial sectors, and the creation of special economic zones (SEZ).

• From the above, Burundi has several assets to exploit to achieve its goal:

• In agriculture and fishing, the country has several opportunities to develop a profitable agro-food industry due to good rainfall, hardworking population and sufficiently arable soil. Also, Lake Tanganyika has several species of fish appreciated throughout the world. Our country needs modern fishing and conservation in order to allow the export of fish.

1. In the mining sector, Burundi abounds in innumerable mineral deposits and precious metals (gold, nickel, coltan, rare earths, etc.). The nickel deposits already listed are among the largest reserves in the world and are associated with substantial deposits of copper, cobalt and platinum.

1. In the energy field, the country has enormous hydroelectric potential, around 1700 MW. Burundi has assets for the exploitation of numerous and varied renewable energies. It has a significant hydraulic potential and high sunshine, favourable to the production of solar energy. In addition, the country has wind potential due to its relief and topography as well as geothermal potential on a continental scale because of its location in the Rift Valley.

1. In the field of transport, internal and external movements are essentially made by land. The country has no railways and only one international airport. Lake Tanganyika is not sufficiently exploited for transport, whereas the movement of Burundians towards neighbouring countries (Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia) could use the lake for maritime trade.

1. In the field of tourism, Burundi also has many assets: the beach of Lake Tanganyika is not sufficiently exploited, 1% of this beach is operational. National parks and other tourist areas such as thermal waters and lakes in northern Burundi require enhancement to attract tourists.

1. We would be remiss if we ended our speech without inviting Egyptian investors to take advantage of the aforementioned assets to exploit the business climate.

Thank You for Your Kind Attention,

God Bless You!