On behalf of the President of the Republic of Burundi, the Vice-President of the Republic H.E. Ir Prosper BAZOMBANZA proceeded, this Monday 19 September 2022 at the hemicycle of Kigobe, to the official launching of the works of the 9th consultation meeting of the Association of Senates, Shoura and Equivalent Councils of Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA), under the following main themes
-The effects and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Arab-African economies and the response of governments; and the Russian-Ukrainian war and its impact on supply chains, energy and food prices.
In his welcome address, the President of the Burundian Senate said that the deliberations of the 9th consultation meeting of the Association of Senates, Shoura and Equivalent Councils of Africa and the Arab World will mark a decisive step in the awareness of the urgent need to address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In his speech of circumstance, the Vice-President of the Republic H.E. Ir Prosper BAZOMBANZA indicated that this 9th meeting seeks to achieve three objectives namely :
1° the promotion of debate, dialogue and Afro-Arab consultation on strategic and priority issues in the African and Arab regions, and better understand the repercussions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war ;
2° the establishment of a parliamentary economic diplomacy that will explore ways and means to strengthen Afro-Arab economic cooperation ;
3° the sharing of knowledge and experiences among parliamentarians.
“The global economic losses will amount to about 15 trillion by 2024 and banks have injected more liquidity into the financial markets than they did in the last ten years combined as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to estimates by the International Monetary Fund,” he said, mentioning also that the pandemic has led to a decline in economic, health and food security, rising energy prices and disruptions in the supply chain.
He added that the economic performance of Arab and African countries over the past two years has been affected by the pandemic with the consequences of a significant decline in Gross Domestic Product, an increase in the unemployment rate and a significant increase in budget deficits and public debt.
