Burkina Faso: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad, HE Karamoko Jean Marie TRAORE, received the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Professor Burhanettin DURAN, on the evening of May 14. First of all, the two men extensively reviewed the cooperation between Burkina Faso and the Republic of Turkey, a dynamic cooperation in several areas starting with defense and security, Turkey having enabled Burkina Faso to change its paradigm in the fight against terrorism through technical and technological support.
According to Burkina Information Agency, other areas of cooperation include development, economy, transport, trade, among others, and also show tangible results to the satisfaction of both countries. At the end of the meeting, the two ministers signed two agreements to deepen bilateral relations between Burkina Faso and the Republic of Turkey.
The first is a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a mechanism for political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad of Burkina Faso and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. As for the second, it is a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad of Burkina Faso and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey in matters of protocol.
After the signing ceremony, HE Mr. Burhanettin Duran first expressed the friendship of the Turkish authorities towards the Burkinabe people, before emphasizing that his visit "provides an opportunity to raise relations between the two countries to another level." In this dynamic, Turkey and Burkina Faso plan to further expand their scope of cooperation through a multidimensional partnership.
"We discussed our cooperation in the fields of industry, defense and security, but we also decided to deepen our relations in the fields of culture, agriculture and industrialization," the Turkish Deputy Minister said. The Burkinabe Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated that the signing of the Agreements provides a space for dialogue between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
"Turkey is one of Burkina Faso's strategic partners. It was there when the country was suffering from political, economic, and financial confinement. It was present when the country was suffering from the lack of strategic partnerships to acquire logistics; this is a testament to friendship and fraternity," declared HE Karamoko Jean Marie Traore. The minister added that "our quest for peace cannot be discussed tomorrow without ignoring the major role played by strategic partners such as Turkey."
The Head of Burkinabe diplomacy also welcomed this partnership based on mutual respect and which takes into account the vision of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim TRAORE and the deep aspirations of the Burkinabe people. "Our relations with Turkey are built on this foundation. Everything we have achieved along the way has placed a premium on the priority needs of Burkina Faso," he said.
"It is a relationship that provides satisfaction but which still falls short of its full potential in terms of exploiting strategic axes," noted HE Karamoko Jean Marie TRAORE. Following the signing of these two agreements, the two Burkinabe and Turkish ministers committed to strengthening consultation and working to further develop this exemplary cooperation and give it more substance.
Before this session of exchanges and signing of agreements, the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs was received by the Burkinabe Prime Minister, to also discuss the strengthening of the Ouagadougou-Ankara axis.