Islamabad :- The Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan places its bilateral relations with the Republic of Rwanda at high esteem and there is need to further expand collaboration between the two in diverse sectors for mutual benefits of the people of two sides.
The High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda, Ms. Harerimana Fatou called on the Acting President at Aiwan-e-Sadr. During the meeting, discussions took place on a range of topics including bilateral trade, agriculture, Parliamentary cooperation, health, defense, sports accessories, and various other diverse matters.
The Acting President highlighted that bilateral trade currently stands at 29.66 million dollars, with Pakistan’s exports mainly comprising rice and pharmaceutical and textile products.
He emphasized the need for exploring new avenues to strengthen this relationship, particularly enhancing bilateral trade. Additionally, he stressed the importance of implementing the various MOUs signed in different fields and further enhancing bilateral relations with the Republic of Rwanda. Strengthening people-to-people connections through parliamentary exchanges was also underscored.
The Acting President mentioned the formation of the Pakistan-Rwanda Friendship Group in the Senate and emphasized the potential for high-level parliamentary exchanges to improve government-to-government and people-to-people ties. He also suggested using parliamentary diplomacy to further bolster cooperation in areas like rice production and sports. Soccer, being the main sport in Rwanda, presents an opportunity for Pakistan to export soccer-related products to the country, he further stated.
Moreover, he pointed out Pakistan’s high-quality rice production and expressed the possibility of exploring more MOUs in the health and defense sectors. The Acting President also highlighted the quality of Pakistani mangoes and identified large sectors for potential collaboration, such as in e-governance.
The Acting President noted that Pakistan has supported Rwanda in international forums, including support to Rwanda’s candidature in the International Court of Justice and Rwanda in reciprocation supported Pakistan in the Human Rights Council 2020.
The High Commissioner of Rwanda shared that she joined the embassy in June, 2024, and the embassy is relatively new, suggesting that there are further opportunities to explore more MOUs for cooperation in diverse sectors. She also mentioned the potential for direct flights between the two countries, to which the Acting President welcomed this suggestion. The Ambassador also expressed interest in learning from Pakistan in the fields of medical and electric bikes.
The meeting also highlighted that NADRA has provided services to Rwanda and under PTAP four seats have been allocated for Rwanda and the need is to fully utilize them.
In his concluding remarks, the Acting President emphasized that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) offers one window solution for exploring investment opportunities. He invited the High Commissioner to visit Multan and encouraged the High Commissioner to visit Multan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.