Kigali, 01 April 2019 - Today, Israel inaugurated its new Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Richard Sezibera attended the opening ceremony of the very first Embassy of Israel in Kigali. The Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel Mr. Yuval Rotem officiated the inauguration.

The inauguration of the Israeli embassy in Kigali is a historic moment for Israel-Rwanda relations which will deepen cooperation and the bond between the two countries.

While Israel and Rwanda re-established diplomatic ties in 1994, the inauguration of the embassy marks the first time that Israel will maintain a resident ambassador in Kigali. 

In his remarks, Minister Sezibera said that the decision of Israel to open a resident Embassy in Rwanda is a testimony of the excellent relations that exist between Rwanda and Israel and also an opportunity to further strengthen the collaboration at both, the bilateral and multilateral level.

He further added that Rwanda’s partnership with Israel is multifaceted. ‘’We work closely in key sectors such as Agriculture. Together, we have established a Horticulture Centre of Excellence located at Mulindi, which aim to promote advanced horticulture methods for both smallholder and commercial farmers. ICT is a second key area of cooperation between our two countries that is quickly picking up. Our two countries have also developed a close collaboration in the area of security and defence. Our officers from the Rwandan Defence Force and the National Police have received training courses in Israel as we continue to work together on shared security objectives’’, said Sezibera.

Since 1994, Israeli-Rwandan relations have grown in nearly every field, from agriculture, to public health to tourism.

In addition, Israel and Rwanda view education, academia, women's empowerment and science as agents of change and continue to work together in these fields to create a brighter future for both nations.  

In the coming months, Rwanda's National air carrier, Rwandan Air will launch direct flights between Tel Aviv and Kigali, increasing business and tourism ties between the two countries.

In recent years, there has been an increase in high-level state visits between the two countries. In 2016, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Rwanda and in 2017, Rwandan President Paul Kagame visited Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Kagame also met in Nairobi in November of 2017.

On the same day, the Minister of Foreign Affair of Rwanda Dr. Richard Sezibera had a meeting with the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Mr. Yuval Rotem. Discussions focused on bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in various areas such as agriculture, innovation and technology among many.

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