Updating the cooperation agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and broadening the areas of cooperation are the factors behind the revision of this cooperation agreement which was established in 1980.
This was declared on Friday 22 April 2022 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, on the sidelines of the analysis of the bill on the ratification of the revised general cooperation agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Government of the Republic of Burundi, which was ultimately adopted unanimously by the deputies present. Ambassador Albert Shingiro, who mentioned defence and security, agriculture, trade and transport as the most strategic areas, was also more explicit.

The Republic of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on the basis of the general agreement on economic, scientific, social and cultural cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Burundi and the Executive Council of the Republic of Zaire, signed in Kinshasa on June 26, 1980 and following the visit to the DRC of His Excellency Evariste Ndayishimiye from 12 to July14, 2021, the two countries have decided to relaunch and intensify the bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation, to further strengthen their bilateral relations, and to develop and expand their cooperation framework.
To this end, a revised general cooperation agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Government of the Republic of Burundi was signed in Kinshasa on September 2, 2021.
The tripartite cooperation between Burundi, the DRC, then Zaire and Rwanda, had its moment of fame, recalled the plenary, which believes that this agreement is very crucial since organisations such as the CPGL, URAZ are either dying or dead.

Ambassador Albert Shingiro blames the lack of political commitment, political conflicts between the three countries and insecurity due to the proliferation of armed groups in the region.
For those who think that this agreement will be drowned out by the entry of the DRC into the East African Community, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation sees it as an asset.
The government envoy also appreciated the plenary’s invitation to set up a dry port.
The movement of businessmen from the DRC is nowadays slowing down. It is true that they enter Burundi in possession of dollars, but returning home, they have to show a document that certifies the exchange office that converted the foreign currency into local currency. This constraint would have pushed them to resort to Rwanda.
Without affirming or denying this information, Ambassador Albert Shingiro advocates the protection of the local currency like other countries of the world.