Rwanda-Burundi agree on border demarcation

KIGALI - The just concluded bilateral meeting between Foreign Affairs Ministers from Rwanda and Burundi has recommended demarcating and planting beacons on disputed parts of the common border. The meeting that was exclusively on border issues also recommended that both parties hire scientific experts to support findings of the joint technical sub-commission.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

KIGALI - The just concluded bilateral meeting between Foreign Affairs Ministers from Rwanda and Burundi has recommended demarcating and planting beacons on disputed parts of the common border.

The meeting that was exclusively on border issues also recommended that both parties hire scientific experts to support findings of the joint technical sub-commission.

The two countries once again reaffirmed their good will and commitment to strengthen their bilateral cooperation.

Burundi’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Augustin Nsanze, told reporters that it was agreed that "more knowledgeable people” be hired to assist the existing joint technical sub-commission.

"We have agreed on forming lines of demarcation, and getting technical and scientific expertise,” minister Rosemary Museminali said.

The purpose of the meeting was to analyse the general report submitted by the two countries’ joint technical sub-commission on the demarcation and implanting of beacons along the common border.

After this phase, the next will be a three-day session starting next Monday which, according to officials, will be the usual annual bilateral cooperation meeting in which various development issues will be discussed.

The two neighbours have various sub-commissions, including those on social affairs, finance and trade, security, justice, infrastructure and natural resources.

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