Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Li Changlin (2nd L) and Burundian Foreign Affairs Minister Ezechiel Nibigira (2nd R) sign a handover document on the China-aided Burundian state house at the signing ceremony in Mutimbuzi district, north of Bujumbura, Burundi, on Feb. 14, 2019. The handover is a sign of sincere friendship and cooperation between China and Burundi, Li said at the signing ceremony on Thursday. (Xinhua/Chinese Embassy in Burundi)
BUJUMBURA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Li Changlin and Burundian Foreign Affairs Minister Ezechiel Nibigira on Thursday signed a handover document on the China-aided Burundian state house.
The handover is a sign of sincere friendship and cooperation between China and Burundi, Li said at the signing ceremony in the new state house in Mutimbuzi district, north of Burundi's commercial capital Bujumbura,
The Chinese embassy has mobilized translators to render Burundi's National Development Plan into the Chinese language, which will help identify priority areas for cooperation between the two sides, said the envoy, adding that the Sino-Burundian cooperation will focus on improving the well-being of Burundian citizens and working conditions of Burundian civil servants.
Nibigira thanked China for offering a state house that Burundi had never owned since the country's independence on July 1, 1962.
"This is the first time in Burundi's history to get such a nice infrastructure. It proves the strongest political and diplomatic relations existing between Burundi and China," said Nibigira.
The Burundian government will do its best to continue boosting Sino-Burundian relations, he added.
Burundian Second Vice-President Joseph Butore also attended the ceremony. Before signing the document, officials of Burundi and China had a tour of the state house.
The complex, with the total construction area of over 9,900 square meters, consists of the president's office building, rooms for guards and equipment, and watchtowers.
