Burkina Faso cuts diplomatic ties with France

OUAGADOUGOU, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso announced on Friday evening that it had decided to sever diplomatic relations with France with immediate effect, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office of Burkina Faso.

According to the statement, the decision followed "a thorough assessment of the current state of bilateral relations between Burkina Faso and France." The government said that "the conditions essential for promoting relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal trust, respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and national sovereignty are no longer in place."

Burkina Faso had made "the choice of responsibility and sovereignty," stressing that the decision "does not in any way call into question the historical, human, cultural and social ties between the Burkinabe and French peoples" and "concerns exclusively the institutional framework of diplomatic relations between the two states," it said.

The Burkinabe government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the protection of foreign nationals on its territory and called on citizens to demonstrate "responsibility, restraint and civic-mindedness" toward French nationals and all other expatriates living in Burkina Faso.

The statement reaffirmed the government's determination to pursue an independent foreign policy based on the diversification of its partnerships, strengthened South-South cooperation and the development of balanced relations with all countries, and the promotion of peace, security, and sustainable development.