Rwanda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Vincent Biruta, held talks with his Burundian counterpart Amb Albert Shingiro on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, a diplomatic sources confirmed Thursday to APA in Kigali.
The two senior officials met Wednesday, September 22, the Rwandan Foreign Affairs ministry said.
Rwanda and Burundi – two neighbouring countries in east-central Africa – have eyed each other with mistrust since 2015.
In July, Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngiente, was among the senior officials who attended the 59th Independence Day celebrations of Burundi.
In May this year,a Rwandan delegation participated in a meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, known as UNSAC, which was held in Bujumbura – further marking improved relations.
This was the second meeting after previous talks in October last year when Rwanda’s top diplomat Vincent Biruta met his Burundian counterpart Albert Shingiro at the Nemba-Gasenyi border point as part of efforts to kickstart efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral
issues.
The meeting comes barely a few months after the meeting of military intelligence chiefs from Rwanda and Burundi that was held at the same border post.
It was the first of its kind since 2015 when the ties between the two countries became deteriorated after Burundi accused Rwanda of hosting and supporting perpetrators of the 2015 coup plot against then Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Burundi has been accusing neighbouring Rwanda of facilitating and training rebels seeking to destabilise the country. Rwanda has categorically denied the accusations.
CU/abj/APA