BUJUMBURA July 19th (ABP) – The meeting to set up the Regional Steering Committee for Agricultural Growth Projects in the Great Lakes Countries, held in Bujumbura since Tuesday July 16, ended on Thursday July 18, with a series of guidance to stakeholders in general and to the national coordination units of the two projects in Burundi and the DRC in order to set up a framework for planning, collaboration and a participatory space for the exchange of scientific information, awareness raising, training and synergy of actions to strengthen regional integration in agriculture.
In closing the two-day meeting, the Assistant Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Diomede Ndayirukiye, expressed satisfaction with the achievement of the expected results of that meeting because the memorandum-of-understanding bill was amended, the terms of reference of the regional steering committee were defined and adopted, the established operating mechanisms, and the action plan for the regional integration activities for 2019-2020 were validated.
He reiterated his thanks to the partners who accompany the agricultural sector development programs in the two countries and especially the World Bank for the multiple support granted to Burundi and the DRC, without forgetting the CEPGL for the facilitation of the meeting.
On his part, the deputy director of the office of the Congolese Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Charly Mukanda wa Mbula Masengo, expressed satisfaction with the fact that in the context of the operational evaluation, the rice plantation in cooperative with the organizations under the financing and supervision of the Great Lakes Regional Integrated Agricultural Development Project (PRDAIGL) was visited.
During that field trip, the construction works on Kavimvira, a bridge linking the localities of Nyamoma in the DRC and Kaburantwa in Burundi, were also launched in Buganda commune in the Cibitoke province (northern Burundi) for an amount of more than 3 billion BIF.
It is worth noting that the construction of those works was designed in the context of improving security and trade between the two countries.
