New Delhi: India and Rwanda held the Joint Commission Meeting on Tuesday, reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral ties, including defence, agriculture, trade and investment, health, education, science and technology, digital platforms, culture and people-to-people contacts.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Kirti Vardhan Singh and Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier J P Nduhungirehe co-chaired the meeting. Secretary (Economic Relations) in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Sudhakar Dalela and other officials were also present during the meeting.
“Pleased to co-chair the second India-Rwanda Joint Commission Meeting with Amb. Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, Hon’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Government of Rwanda. We reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including defence, agriculture, trade & investment, health, education, S&T, digital platforms, culture and people-to-people contacts. Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. A Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for the year 2026-30 was signed,” Kirti Vardhan Singh posted on X.
Nduhungirehe arrived in India on Monday to attend the 11th Raisina Dialogue and the 2nd India-Rwanda Joint Commission Meeting.
Earlier in January, Rwanda’s Ambassador to India, Jacqueline Mukangira, said that more Gujaratis are coming to Rwanda because “they can benefit from our conducive investment environment with both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to national as well as foreign investors and zero tolerance for corruption.”
Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference, the East African country’s envoy said: “Rwanda and India enjoy excellent bilateral relations, and many Indians are doing business in Rwanda, with a significant number from Gujarat. In fact, India is the second-largest foreign investor in Rwanda and also its second-largest trading partner.”
She further stated that Rwanda imports pharmaceuticals, ICT machinery and equipment, and goods such as rice, textiles, and sugar — “much of which can be sourced from Gujarat”.
According to the MEA, bilateral ties between India and Rwanda have been cordial and have grown steadily over the years. In 1999, Rwanda officially opened its Mission in New Delhi and appointed its first resident Ambassador in New Delhi in 2001. India has opened its resident Mission in Kigali with the arrival of High commissioner on August 15, 2018.
(IANS)
