Burkina-Faso/Canada Cooperation: Diamond Wedding Celebration

The relations of friendship and cooperation between Canada and Burkina Faso date back to 1962. As part of the celebration of this diamond anniversary, the Burkina Faso Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a day of commemoration on Thursday 24 November at the Institute for Diplomatic Training.

Canada and Faso sealed a diplomatic agreement 60 years ago.

“Sixty years of friendship and cooperation between Burkina Faso and Canada” is the central theme of the commemoration of the diamond wedding held on Thursday 24 November. The event was attended by former ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, pupils and students from vocational training schools and public and private universities and colleges.

The activities were chaired by the Minister Delegate in charge of regional cooperation, Jean Marie Traoré. In his opening speech, the representative of the Minister, Olivia Rouamba, welcomed the quality of the relations between Burkina Faso and Canada, which have remained at a high level for the past 60 years.

According to Jean Marie Traoré, the two countries have had a fruitful relationship since the opening of the Burkinabe diplomatic representation in Ottawa in 1973: “We have a positive view of the friendship between Burkina Faso and Canada for several reasons. This cooperation has changed the face of our country. Canada is a very important player in the transformation of gender relations. And you know the role that women play in promoting the economy of Burkina Faso. Canada is one of the actors that has worked to give impetus to this new vision that has enabled us today to transform a certain number of our women to become true actors in the economy.

It should be emphasised that cooperation between Burkina Faso and Canada focuses on areas that are important to the West African country. These include governance, economic development, humanitarian support, the promotion of education and gender.
In terms of figures, Canadian mining companies have provided Burkina Faso with funding to the tune of 4 billion Canadian dollars (1,700 billion CFA francs). According to the Chamber of Mines of Faso, 2,488 people are employed by Essakane, 285 by Semafo and 1,252 by Roxgold.
Welcoming these figures, the Minister Delegate said: “the future is rooted in the past, and its foliage is coloured by the present”.
According to him, the commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee opens the door to immense prospects, with the aim of perpetuating the excellence of the relationship.
In the presentation of the report “Themes of 60 years of cooperation between the two countries”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs listed these prospects as follows Increasing Canadian support for the strengthening of democratic institutions and reinforcing decentralised cooperation, diversifying and increasing Burkina Faso’s export products to Canada, and considering a state visit to extend cooperation to new areas such as security for equipment and skills transfer.