Burundi is an East African country bordering Tanzania to the east and south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Rwanda to the north. It covers an area of 27,650 square kilometers and has a population of 13.77 million.

Vietnam and Burundi established diplomatic relations on April 16, 1975. Currently, Vietnam's Embassy in Tanzania is accredited to Burundi, while Burundi's Embassy in China is accredited to Vietnam.

The visit by President Ndayishimiye and his spouse coincides with the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Burundi diplomatic ties. Previously, the Burundian leader met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2023.

The visit underscores Vietnam's commitment to expanding diplomatic relations and implementing its strategy for strengthening Vietnam's relations with Middle Eastern and African countries (2016-2025) and the strategy for enhancing Vietnam's relations with the African Union (2021-2025).

Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania and Burundi Vu Thanh Huyen remarked, "President Ndayishimiye's visit marks a historic milestone in bilateral ties, showing a shared desire to enhance cooperation across politics, economics, trade, culture, and social affairs."

Vietnam and Burundi share historical and cultural similarities, having both fought against colonial rule. President Ndayishimiye has expressed strong goodwill toward Vietnam and has pursued open policies since taking office in 2020 for a seven-year term.

Bilateral relations have seen positive developments, particularly since Viettel launched its Lumitel telecommunications project in Burundi in 2014. Lumitel is now the country’s largest telecom operator and has made remarkable contributions to its socio-economic development.

Trade between Vietnam and Burundi has ranged between US$3-5 million in recent years. Vietnam primarily exports machinery, equipment, spare parts, and electronic components while importing ores, minerals, and animal feed from Burundi.

Additionally, Burundi is part of East Africa, a region with strong purchasing power and demand that matches Vietnam's production capacity and supply capabilities. In return, East Africa offers raw materials that Vietnam requires, including crude oil, agricultural products, minerals, and precious metals.

Vietnam and Burundi boast huge potential to step up cooperation in a multitude of fields, especially in politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, agriculture, IT, telecommunications, and education.

During the visit, President Ndayishimiye is scheduled to attend an official welcome ceremony, hold talks with President Luong Cuong, and meet with senior Vietnamese leaders.

Vietnam, Burundi vow to expand partnership

Vietnam and its traditional friends in Africa, including Burundi, share similarities in their struggles for national liberation and development, providing a foundation conducive to further deepening substantive friendship and cooperation, said Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.