PM Ngirente Meets Leaders from Niger and Tanzania to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente on Monday hosted two high-level meetings with leaders from Niger and Tanzania, aimed at reinforcing Rwanda’s bilateral relations and regional cooperation.

Ngirente first welcomed Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine for discussions focused on enhancing collaboration between the two countries, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister.

“They held discussions focused on reinforcing cooperation between the two countries towards shared development,” the office said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Rwanda and Niger enjoy longstanding ties. In April 2021, the president of the Rwandan Senate represented President Paul Kagame at the inauguration of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.

Later in the afternoon, Ngirente met with Dr. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Tanzania’s deputy prime minister and minister of energy, who is in Kigali for the Africa Conference on Nuclear Energy Use. Talks centered on strengthening the Rwanda-Tanzania partnership.

The two East African nations share deep-rooted ties, particularly in trade, infrastructure, security, and regional cooperation. In 2019, Rwanda exported goods worth $5.1 million to Tanzania, while imports from Tanzania totaled $224.5 million.

The countries have also collaborated on major infrastructure initiatives. In 2018, they resumed work on a joint $3.6 billion railway project spanning 532 kilometers.