Burundi regards its 2018 defense cooperation agreement with Russia as very important for the country in terms of capacity building for the African nation's servicemen and police force and believes that the accord will further strengthen bilateral ties, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Burundi regards its 2018 defense cooperation agreement with Russia as very important for the country in terms of capacity building for the African nation's servicemen and police force and believes that the accord will further strengthen bilateral ties, Burundi Ambassador to Russia Edouard Bizimana told Sputnik."Russia has always been instrumental to Burundi in terms of support. I mean capacity building for Burundi military, for Burundi police, so I think this agreement is coming to strengthen these already existing relations," Bizimana said, when asked how Burundi is looking to develop the military cooperation it has with Russia.
The diplomat also noted that the agreement would benefit both Moscow and Gitega.
Bizimana also recalled that since Burundi gained its independence back in 1962, Burundians have been trained in Russia, while Russia has been supporting Burundi.
Both states also have a common agenda in terms of fighting terrorism, he stressed.
Russia and Burundi signed the defense agreement during the Army 2018 defense expo in late August. The deal seeks to expand both countries' cooperation on peacekeeping operations and in the fight against terrorism. On the sidelines of the exposition, Burundi's Minister of Defense Emmanuel Ntahomvukiye also expressed the country's interest in purchasing Russian-made Pantsir-S1 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems.
