Finance
On Tuesday, India and Rwanda conducted a Joint Commission Meeting to assess all aspects of their bilateral relations, including defense, agriculture, commerce and investment, health, education, science and technology, digital platforms, culture, and people-to-people interactions.
The meeting was co-chaired by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS), and Olivier J P Nduhungirehe, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Sudhakar Dalela and other authorities were present at 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 friendly and have steadily improved over the years. Rwanda formally inaugurated its Mission in New Delhi in 1999, and the first permanent Ambassador was posted there in 2001. India launched its resident Mission in Kigali on August 15, 2018, with the arrival of the High Commissioner.
Source: IANS
