Rwanda and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on trade and investment cooperation aimed at expanding economic ties and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.
The agreement was signed on Thursday, September 24, 2026, during the Rwanda-Pakistan Investment Forum 2026, which brought together government officials and private-sector representatives from both countries, including more than 30 participants from Pakistan and over 40 from Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Antoine-Marie Kajangwe, said the agreement is intended to strengthen trade and investment cooperation, particularly by promoting locally manufactured products and expanding exports between the two countries.
He said the partnership would also encourage greater exchange of business information and investment opportunities between private companies in Rwanda and Pakistan.
“There is a lot we can do with Pakistan, including expanding our exports, encouraging investors from Pakistan to invest in Rwanda and continuing to work closely together,” Kajangwe said.
The agreement comes as both countries seek to expand commercial ties beyond existing trade in agricultural and other products.
Pakistan eyes investment in Rwanda’s agriculture sector
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Naeem Khan, said businesses from his country are exploring investment opportunities in several sectors of Rwanda’s economy, including sports, construction, real estate, tourism, hospitality and modern agriculture and livestock farming.
He said Pakistan is particularly interested in introducing agricultural machinery and technologies to Rwanda to support the modernisation of farming.
“We want to bring agricultural machinery from Pakistan to Rwanda and promote the use of technology in agriculture,” Khan said.
The ambassador also highlighted potential cooperation in sports, including partnerships with Rwandan football clubs and the supply of footballs manufactured in Pakistan.
He said there was also potential for some of the products to be manufactured in Rwanda and exported to other African markets.
Rwanda’s agricultural exports seen as an opportunity
Khan identified tea, coffee, avocados, beans and peas among Rwandan products with potential for a larger market in Pakistan.
He called on Rwandan producers and exporters to increase both production and quality to take advantage of opportunities in the Pakistani market.
Pakistan is already among the markets for Rwandan agricultural exports, including tea, coffee, avocados and other agricultural products.
Rwanda imports a range of products from Pakistan, including medical equipment, rice, materials used in garment manufacturing and technologies and equipment used in agriculture.
More bilateral agreements in the pipeline
Khan said the two countries are also preparing additional agreements covering other areas of cooperation, including air transport.
“Today we signed the agreement on trade and investment cooperation. The agreement on cooperation in aviation is still being prepared,” he said, adding that Rwanda and Pakistan have already signed more than five agreements, while another five or six are reportedly under preparation.
He said the additional agreements could be signed within the coming months or the next year.
François Twagirumukiza, head of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), said the new agreement would build on existing relations between businesses in Rwanda and Pakistan and could facilitate larger investment flows.
He said Pakistani investors who participated in discussions during the forum had expressed interest in investing in Rwanda across different sectors.
The new trade and investment framework provides a platform for both countries to deepen private-sector links while exploring opportunities to expand agricultural trade, investment and value addition.
