STATE PARTNERSHIP OPENS A NEW CHAPTER

On June 30.06.2023, XNUMX, a piece of history was written in the partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi. As part of the delegation trip by State Secretary for Media Policy and Federal Representative of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Rudi Hoogvliet, an office was ceremoniously opened in Bujumbura. It is intended to be a contact point for committed people in Burundi and Baden-Württemberg and to further promote cooperation and networking between the two regions.

First point of contact for partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi

The opening of a liaison office marks a new phase in the partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi, which has existed for almost 40 years. Burundian and German representatives from politics and those involved in the partnership attended the ceremonial inauguration of the new contact point for the country partnership. The SEZ is responsible for the liaison office in Burundi. She wants a place of networking, tolerance, respect, learning, listening and friendship to emerge.

The office in Bujumbura sends a clear signal of ongoing cooperation. It is proof of the great interest and commitment in Baden-Württemberg and Burundi to further expand the partnership and work together on sustainable development.

The state partnership

Since 1984, partnership-based relationships between people from Baden-Württemberg and Burundi have formed a bridge across borders. In 2009, the SEZ set up a coordination office for the partnership on behalf of the state of Baden-Württemberg, and in 2014 a partnership agreement was officially signed to work on joint development in both regions. For the first time after a nine-year break, a delegation from Baden-Württemberg visited Burundi in the summer of 2023. In addition to strengthening civil society engagement, the goals of this week-long trip also included resuming political cooperation and deepening bilateral relations. For this purpose, political representatives Rudi Hoogvliet for Baden-Württemberg and Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro for Burundi signed a declaration in which they stated the mutual intention to deepen the partnership. This will be done through regular exchange visits between governments and organizations interested in the partnership, as well as the opening of a liaison office in Burundi's economic capital, Bujumbura. The office in Bujumbura complements the SEZ contact point in Stuttgart to bring people from both regions together.

Background to the SEZ

The Baden-Württemberg Development Cooperation Foundation (SEZ) wants to sensitize the population of Baden-Württemberg for globally responsible action and show how everyone can do something for a fairer world. The foundation promotes and networks private, municipal and regional initiatives to improve and deepen partnerships with countries in the so-called Global South. In doing so, it strengthens the awareness of people in Baden-Württemberg for the global connections of local actions.

Further information:

• https://sez.de/neuigkeiten/aufleben-der-partnerschaft
• https://stm.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilung/pid/staatssekretaer-hoogvliet-auf-delegationsreise-in-burundi
• https://sez.de/neuigkeiten/er%C3%B6ffnung-des-sez-b%C3%BCros-in-bujumubura
  
• https://sez.de/neuigkeiten/im-gespraech-mit-gundula-bueker
  
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWdOjVHzVRY