Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said Rwanda’s development progress has been significantly supported by cooperation with other countries and international organizations.
He made the remarks on Monday while opening the first Conference on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, held in Kigali from June 22 to 23, 2026.
The conference, organized by Rwanda Cooperation in partnership with UNDP Rwanda, brought together policymakers and development partners to discuss strengthening collaboration and improving the effectiveness of development initiatives.
South-South Cooperation refers to collaboration among developing countries focused on sharing knowledge, experience, technology and best practices to accelerate development.
Triangular Cooperation involves the participation of a third partner—often a developed country or international organization—that provides financial or technical support to strengthen such collaboration.
Nduhungirehe said Rwanda’s development journey has been shaped by partnerships built on mutual respect, complementarity and shared learning, rather than isolated national efforts.
“Rwanda’s development journey has been built on cooperation with other developing countries and partners who have shared their experiences with us, sometimes highlighting both their successes and lessons learned from challenges,” he said.
He noted that such cooperation enables countries to exchange knowledge, transfer technology and jointly address shared development challenges, with each partner engaging on an equal footing.
The minister welcomed Rwanda’s hosting of the inaugural conference, saying it reflects the country’s ambition to position Kigali as a global hub for South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange.
He said Kigali is increasingly envisioned as a platform where successful development practices can be shared, adapted and implemented, moving beyond dialogue to practical solutions that can be applied across different contexts.
Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation as a key driver of sustainable development and shared global progress.
