Burkina Faso has excellent relations with European--including the European Union--North African, and Asian countries, which are all active development partners. France, in particular, continues to provide significant aid and supports Compaore's developing role as a regional powerbroker. Compaore has mediated a political crisis in Togo and helped to resolve the Tuareg conflict in Niger. Several thousand Tuareg refugees from Mali, who sought protection in Burkina, will be repatriated by the end of 1997. Burkina maintains cordial relations with Libya. Burkina maintains diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (usually referred to as "Taiwan") instead of the People's Republic of China.

In response to the drought that plagued the Sahel countries from 1968 to 1974, the U.S. provided significant emergency food assistance to Burkina Faso. Following this, the United States and other international donors began to work with the Sahel countries to plan and implement long-term development assistance programs.