“Without economic strength, a country has no voice”: Burkina Faso’s Minister links diplomacy to financial power

“If a country lacks economic capacity, that country is not listened to.” The statement is clear, and it comes from the Minister of Economy and Finance, Dr. Aboubakar Nacanabo. This Friday, March 6, 2026, on the occasion of the fourth edition of the scientific panels at the Institute of International Studies (INHEI), the Head of the economy of Burkina Faso delivered an unambiguous vision: diplomacy and financial cooperation must now work hand in hand to carry weight in the concert of nations.

The Minister of Economy diagnosed the situation with lucidity. In the current context marked by a progressive and popular revolution (RPP), Burkina Faso must rethink its international posture. But to be heard, to be respected, a prerequisite is essential: economic power.

“One cannot speak of diplomacy if, economically, one is weak,” he stressed before an audience of academics and practitioners.

A country without economic weight, he explained, risks seeing its voice lost in the limbo of major international negotiations.

Diplomatic legitimacy is not decreed; it is won through the ability to generate wealth, offer opportunities, and carry weight in global exchanges.

However, the minister did not oppose diplomacy and economy. Quite the contrary, he insisted on their organic complementarity.

Diplomatic action, according to him, has the primary mission of attracting investors, forging win-win partnerships, and creating a favorable business environment. This is how growth is born and development is built.

“The action of diplomacy and the action of development constitute a continuum,” affirmed Dr. Nacanabo.

All actors, whether diplomats, economists, or financial experts, work for the same cause: the economic influence of Burkina Faso and the well-being of all Burkinabe.

In this perspective, financial cooperation is no longer a simple appendage of diplomacy, but its natural extension.

To achieve this objective, the minister called for renewed governance. The foreign policy of Burkina Faso, he emphasized, must be coherent, effective, and free from sterile compartmentalization.

Diplomats must integrate economic issues into their daily practice, while financiers must think their strategies in light of international relations.

Fanta KEITA