Burundi for more CFC investments across different commodities
H.E. Ms. Isabelle Ndahayo, Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, paid a courtesy call to the Secretariat of the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). She was accompanied by two other colleagues from her Embassy. Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Managing Director of the Common Fund for Commodities, welcomed Ambassador Ndahayo in the CFC.
During the discussion, Ambassador Belal briefed Ambassador Ndahayo on the current as well as probable future initiatives of the CFC. Considering the setback we all have been enduring due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ambassador Belal wished to see more working relations and partnership with the countries in the days to come.
Furthermore, Ambassador Belal discussed the introduction of the Agricultural Commodity Transformation (ACT) Fund, previously known as CIIF, at the LDC5 Conference in Doha. He shared the CFC's roadmap for poverty alleviation in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Land Locked Developed Countries (LLDCs), and beyond. Member countries were encouraged to join the ACT Fund as anchor investors and promote it to the private sector.
With regard to the ongoing call for proposals by CFC, Ambassador Belal urged Ambassador Ndahayo to disseminate the information so that qualified SMEs/enterprises could submit quality projects from Burundi for consideration by the Executive Board of CFC.
While expressing her gratitude to receive her at the CFC, Ambassador Ndahayo expressed appreciation for the CFC's initiative in launching the ACT Fund. She assured her support and coordination with all member states. She praised the CFC's work and expressed hope for future collaboration. Ambassador Ndahayo emphasized the importance of commodities and their impact on grassroots communities. She expressed their desire for increased CFC investments in Burundi and beyond to help lift more people out of poverty. Ambassador Ndahayo assured to remain engaged, indeed step up their engagement, with the CFC.
The dialogue between the two Ambassadors also paved the way for future collaboration. Ambassador Ndahayo shared insights on how the CFC and Burundi could forge a deeper partnership, thus amplifying their joint efforts towards sustainable development. The meeting was concluded with the expression of mutual assurances of support to do the necessary follow-up in the days to come.