On October 7, 2024, a business meeting of the delegation of the Republic of Burundi with entrepreneurs of the Northern capital was held at the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The moderator was Irina Karpenko, Director of the Department of External Relations of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vladimir Katenev, President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, addressed the guests with a welcoming speech, noting: "The development of international cooperation with dynamically developing countries like Burundi opens up new opportunities for companies to expand exports and imports. We see great potential in cooperation in the agro-industrial complex, energy and other key sectors of the economy."

The meeting was also attended by Major General Joseph Nkurunziza, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Burundi to the Russian Federation, Prosper Dodiko, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock and head of the delegation of the Republic of Burundi, who addressed the St. Petersburg entrepreneurs with greetings and expressed hope for the successful development of cooperation.

Denis Ndagijimana, Director of Program Planning of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Burundi, presented the concept of long-term development of the country entitled "Burundi as a developing country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060". He emphasized the importance of investments in key sectors of the country's economy to achieve sustainable growth.

Deputy Head of the Strategic Research and Development Department under the President of the Republic of Burundi Jacqueline Niyuhira and Head of the Diplomatic Chancellery under the President of the Republic of Burundi Elsa Nizigama Ntamagiro spoke about investment opportunities in the country. During their speeches, they touched upon such topics as the economic landscape of Burundi, investment promotion and ongoing reforms.

St. Petersburg entrepreneurs actively asked questions and discussed prospects for cooperation in such areas as agriculture, livestock farming and other sectors of the economy. Minister Prosper Dodiko noted the importance of developing the social and economic sphere of Burundi, emphasizing that the country has managed to ensure food security, and today more than 90% of the population is provided with food. He added that the development of agriculture and livestock farming does not require significant expenditure of water resources, but there is a shortage of fertilizers.

Proposals for cooperation between St. Petersburg companies in such areas as waste processing, hydropower, agriculture, construction, education, etc. were also presented. The business meeting ended with a discussion of specific steps to expand economic and investment ties between St. Petersburg and the Republic of Burundi.

St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry