Rwanda and Egypt plan to establish friendship groups within their respective parliaments to identify priority areas for stronger cooperation and coordinate joint activities.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Rwanda’s Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Gertrude Kazarwa, and Egypt’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Hanan Abdelaziz Elsaid Shahin, who explored ways to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Kazarwa said the friendship groups would help the two parliaments agree on areas of collaboration and coordinate the implementation of joint initiatives.
“Establishing a friendship group is a way for the two parliaments to formalise their cooperation and use it as a basis for joint activities. Each country will have its own group, one from Rwanda and another from Egypt, to work together,” she said.
Ambassador Shahin said Egypt was interested in deepening its engagement with Rwanda, particularly in cultural exchanges and parliamentary cooperation.
“I am here today to explore how we can strengthen cooperation in culture, as well as parliamentary relations between Egypt and Rwanda,” she said.
She added that the two countries had longstanding relations and that expanding cooperation between their legislatures was one way to strengthen those ties.
Rwanda and Egypt already cooperate in several areas, including trade, education, healthcare, tourism and diplomacy.
The proposed parliamentary friendship groups are expected to provide a platform for closer coordination, sharing experiences and identifying new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
