China-aided hydropower station project in Burundi to expand cooperation

RUMONGE, Burundi - The China-aided Ruzibazi hydropower station project located in Burundi's Rumonge province will expand bilateral cooperation, Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza said Friday.

Nkurunziza made the remark when attending a construction commencement ceremony for the project held onsite.

The project, the largest China-aided project in Burundi so far, involves the building of a hydropower station with an installed capacity of 15 megawatt.

Extending congratulations to the Chinese people on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Nkurunziza said, "China has always demonstrated that it is a privileged and credible partner for the world in general and for Burundi in particular."

The Ruzibazi power station will possess a large proportion of the total installed capacity in Burundi and is very important to Burundi's future development, Burundi's Energy Minister Come Manirakiza told Xinhua ahead of the ceremony.

Burundi and China have conducted a lot of cooperation in the energy sector, he said, adding that bilateral economic cooperation is expected to yield more fruits.

The Ruzibazi power station will meet the needs of Burundi for power generation and future development, Chinese Ambassador to Burundi Li Changlin told Xinhua, noting that China has joined Burundi's construction in the sectors of agriculture, education and health.

Relations between China and Burundi are at the best time in history, and China stands ready to step up, within its capacity, assistance to Burundi according to Burundi's actual situation, Li added.

Mao Xueyan, who is responsible for the project's construction, said the Chinese side will meticulously organize the construction work in a scientific way and ensure the completion of the project on time with high quality, so as to benefit the Burundian people as soon as possible and contribute to the friendship between China and Burundi.