A specialised training on the African Union was held in Bujumbura from 10 to 15 October 2025, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Burundi, the Embassy of Belgium in Bujumbura, and Enabel’s Representation.
Designed for around thirty diplomats and senior officials mainly from the Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidency, the session aimed to support Burundi as it prepares to assume the rotating Chairmanship of the African Union in 2026, by strengthening the diplomatic and strategic skills required for this role.
The training, conducted by two honorary Belgian ambassadors deployed by the Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations, H.E. Mr. Renier Nijskens and H.E. Mr. Koen Vervaeke, in collaboration with two Burundian peers, combined theoretical insights, case studies and experience-sharing on institutional, political and multilateral dimensions of African diplomacy.
This session concluded a cycle of two diplomatic trainings conducted in Bujumbura in 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within the framework of the Programme d’Appui à la Réalisation des Études et Expertises (PAREX), implemented by Enabel and financed by the Kingdom of Belgium. Together, these two sessions illustrate a constructive and lasting cooperation between Belgium and Burundi, focused on expertise sharing and capacity building in preparation for future responsibilities on the African and international stage.
