Russia extends deep condolences to Burundi over the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza and hopes the new leadership will continue developing bilateral cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2020) Russia extends deep condolences to Burundi over the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza and hopes the new leadership will continue developing bilateral cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Burundian government announced that Nkurunziza, 55, had died from cardiac arrest. The president was in power since 2005. In 2020, he refused to run for the top office again, though the ratification of a new constitution allowed the incumbent to seek another two terms of seven years. In May, Evariste Ndayishimiye, the secretary general of the ruling party, was elected as president.
In a press release, the Russian ministry commended the late president for contributing to Burundi's advance toward political and socioeconomic stability and efforts to maintain peace and security in Africa.
"Nkurunziza always treated our country with sincere fondness, was a consistent supporter of closer relations between Russia and Burundi and did a lot to expand mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. We hope that the new leadership of the Republic of Burundi will continue Nkurunziza's course to further develop Russian-Burundian friendship and fruitful partnership and strengthen domestic political stability and the national economy," the ministry said.
The ministry went on to extend condolences to the Nkurunziza family, the country's leadership and people.
Separately, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's special presidential representative for the middle East and Africa and deputy foreign minister, personally expressed condolences in a call with Burundian Second Vice-President Joseph Butore.
Butore, in turn, said that under President-elect Ndayishimiye, the country would remain committed to strengthening political, socioeconomic and humanitarian cooperation with Moscow and stepping up dialogue on African and international issues of mutual interest, according to the ministry.
