Rwanda and Russia are seeking to expand cooperation in several sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, mining, research and industry, with a focus on increasing investment opportunities and sharing expertise and technology, particularly nuclear technology.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said bilateral cooperation was making progress, revealing that Rwanda had requested an additional 100 scholarships from Russia, on top of the 59 already allocated to Rwandan students.
He made the remarks in an interview with RT News, highlighting Rwanda’s interest in tapping into Russia’s expertise and technological capabilities to support the country’s economic and industrial development.
Nduhungirehe also highlighted cooperation in mining, noting that Russian investors were already operating in Rwanda.
He identified agriculture as another important sector with significant potential for further collaboration between the two countries.
On nuclear technology, the minister said Rwanda and Russia had signed an agreement to establish a centre dedicated to advancing nuclear science and technology. The technology is expected to support various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, research and industry.
He said the growing demand for scholarships reflected the value of the knowledge and skills Rwandan students acquire in Russia, particularly in developing the specialised workforce needed to strengthen domestic industries and the economy.
“The number of scholarships they offer us keeps increasing because we discuss the matter and recognise that what our students learn is beneficial to us, our industries and Rwanda’s economy. That is why we ask for more places,” he said.
Nduhungirehe explained that both countries had established joint mechanisms to monitor the implementation of their agreements and collaborative projects. The Rwandan Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Embassy in Kigali also play a role in following up on the cooperation.
He stressed that Rwanda intended to continue strengthening its relations with Russia while creating more opportunities for cooperation between Russia and the African continent as a whole.
