Poland, Rwanda FMs discuss economic cooperation

Bilateral relations, particularly in the fields of economy, cooperation in cybersecurity, education, and green technologies, were among the topics of the Monday meeting between Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta.

The ministers met on Monday in Warsaw in connection with an ambassadorial consultation, at which Biruta was an honorary guest. During the meeting, the heads of the foreign affairs ministries signed an agreement enabling the promotion of innovative methods in diplomatic staff training. They also held a joint press conference.

Rau conveyed that Rwanda, like Poland, recognizes the Russian aggression in Ukraine as a violation of international law, especially the United Nations Charter. “We cannot remain indifferent to such a blatant disregard for the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Ukrainian state,” he stated.

“Russian aggression undermines the existing international order, leading to an energy, economic, and humanitarian crisis,” added Rau.

He emphasized his gratitude to Rwanda for joining the voices condemning Russia’s war actions.

The discussion also covered issues related to economic cooperation between both countries, particularly in agriculture, energy, the machinery industry, transportation, and agricultural machinery.

“We agreed with Minister Biruta that the current level of trade exchange does not fully reflect the potential of our bilateral relationship, and we expressed hope for a rapid change in this trend,” stated the Polish foreign minister.

Rau reminded that the largest Polish investment in Rwanda is the tin smelter in Kigali, operated by the company LuNa Smelter. He highlighted that this in effect has made Rwanda the largest tin processor in East Africa.

The ministers also discussed cooperation in the fields of education, cybersecurity, and green technologies.

The Rwandan Minister stressed his country’s support for the protection of the territorial integrity of all nations. He also spoke about the need to strengthen political and economic ties with Poland.

The ministers were asked about the issue of grain exports from Ukraine. They were questioned about whether humanitarian corridors were effectively functioning and whether the grain reached African countries, leading to improved food security in the region.

The heads of Polish and Rwandan diplomacy emphasized that, thanks to the so-called grain deal, the situation had been somewhat mitigated, but it was still far from satisfactory and rather unstable.

Rau underscored that, in his opinion, the situation could be genuinely improved however only through the opening and decongestion of Black Sea ports, as well as ensuring that the international community and the regions most in need of Ukrainian food “are not treated by Russia as hostages in this very brutal game.”

PM