The foreign affairs ministers of Rwanda and Russia held a bilateral meeting focused on advancing cooperation between the two countries. Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, met in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, 19 December, on the sidelines of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum. Following the meeting, Minister Nduhungirehe wrote on X, thanking Sergey Lavrov for what he described as a constructive bilateral discussion. He noted that both sides expressed satisfaction with the growing Russia–Africa

The foreign affairs ministers of Rwanda and Russia held a bilateral meeting focused on advancing cooperation between the two countries. Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, met in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, 19 December, on the sidelines of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum. Following the meeting, Minister Nduhungirehe wrote on X, thanking Sergey Lavrov for what he described as a constructive bilateral discussion. He noted that both sides expressed satisfaction with the growing Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, reviewed their strong bilateral cooperation, and discussed ways to further expand it. “We also exchanged views on the situation in eastern DRC, which gave me the opportunity to express gratitude to my counterpart for the continued support of the Russian Federation for the ongoing peace processes,” he said. Rwanda and the Russian Federation have maintained a multifaceted relationship since establishing diplomatic ties on October 17, 1963. Over the decades, this partnership has expanded across various sectors, including political cooperation, economic development, education, and scientific research. In November 2024, on the sidelines of the first Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum in Sochi, Minister Nduhungirehe and Sergey Lavrov signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports. Earlier, in October 2019, during the Russia–Africa Summit in Sochi, the two countries signed an agreement to construct Rwanda’s first Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Kigali, with the involvement of ROSATOM. The center is intended to serve as a modern hub for scientific research and the practical application of nuclear technologies in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and industry. At the same summit, Rwanda and Russia also signed an agreement to cooperate in the mining and hydrocarbon sectors, covering geological surveys, exploration activities, and the provision of equipment and services in mining, oil, and gas industries. In the education sector, Russia offers university scholarships to Rwandan students and provides training for police officers. Over the past 50 years, approximately 800 Rwandans have graduated from Russian universities in fields including law, medicine, international affairs, and political science. During the 60th anniversary celebrations in October 2023, marking six decades of diplomatic relations, the foreign ministers of both countries reaffirmed the traditionally friendly nature of Rwanda–Russia relations.

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