New Delhi [India], December 9 (ANI): The former Deputy Secretary of Central and Western Africa, Om Prakash Meena, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Burkina Faso, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

In a statement, the MEA announced his appointment as the next ambassador and stated that he was expected to take up the assignment shortly.

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India and Burkina Faso share cordial bilateral relations. As a small country, Burkina Faso looks positively at our friendship and treatment as an important friend. The Embassy of Burkina Faso was opened in New Delhi in 1996 and elevated to the level of ambassador in 2011. India maintained its embassy in Ouagadougou from November 1996 until its closure in July 2002. In view of the cordial relations, India reopened its embassy in March 2019 with the posting of an ambassador.

Bilateral cooperation began in March 1976 when an official delegation led by Burkina Faso's Commerce and Industry Minister visited India and signed a protocol on economic and technical cooperation. Since then, there have been several high-level visits from Burkina Faso to India. Burkina Faso participated in the India-Africa Partnership Conclave in New Delhi in March 2008. It was the partner country in the CII Conclave held in March 2009 in New Delhi.

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Bilateral trade between India and Burkina Faso had shown steady growth from 2015-16 to 2021-22 (peaking in 2018-19), with the balance of trade favouring Burkina Faso (ref: table below). The complement of goods imported by India included gold, cashew nuts, and soya beans, while those exported by India comprised pharmaceutical products, goods vehicles and parts, motorcycles and parts, machinery, mechanical appliances, rubber, cotton fabric, among others.

Bilateral relations got a boost in May-June 1993 when President Blaise Compaore visited India. During this visit, both countries decided to establish the Joint Commission to foster cooperation between the two countries. The Joint Commission on economic, cultural, political, and technical cooperation was established after an agreement was signed in October 1994.

The Indian community in Burkina Faso is estimated to be around 500. Some of them are engaged in manufacturing, trading, and business while the rest are their employees. (ANI)

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