As both nations consider deepening their connections, Rwanda and Djibouti inked three bilateral agreements on May 10th.
Dr. Vincent Biruta, the foreign minister of Rwanda, and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the foreign minister of Djibouti, presided over the signing ceremony.
A delegation led by Minister Youssouf is now visiting Rwanda on business. The three accords cover agriculture, tourism, and diplomatic training.
The event comes after the signing of five other agreements in Djibouti in 2017 during President Paul Kagame’s state visit.
“You will recall that during the 2017 state visit, several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in various fields have been initiated and have been signed. However, most of the deals were not implemented partly due to Covid-19 challenges,” Biruta said at a press briefing.
The agreements, according to Biruta, covered a number of important industries, such as ICT, mutual visa exemption for diplomatic and service passports, bilateral air service agreements, and the promotion and protection of investments.
“The joint Ministerial Commission will allow us to follow up on the implementation of the signed MoUs and also propose new areas of cooperation.”
Beyond creating a win-win situation, according to Youssouf, the alliance between Rwanda and Djibouti aims to promote cooperation across the continent. For instance, Youssouf cited the current issue in Sudan and asserted that everyone had a stake in seeing that the area’s peace was restored.
According to Biruta, cooperation between the two nations extended beyond the topics addressed by the three bilateral accords. He said that once new places are found, it will only expand.
In 2013, Djibouti offered Rwanda a 20-hectare plot of land near its port. On the property, Rwanda intends to build and run a vital base for its imports and exports. In exchange, Djibouti received a plot in the Gasabo District of Kigali’s Special Economic Zone.
According to Biruta, the two nations have begun discussing how to develop their respective landholdings.