It is a common saying that no man is an island, and in this case, even island countries need diplomatic relations with counterparts for development in the interconnected world.
The year 2023 saw Rwanda harness several bilateral relations with different countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean region.
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According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at least 33 new foreign Ambassadors and High Commissioners, both resident and non-resident, were accredited to Rwanda and presented their letters of credence to President Paul Kagame.
The countries include Algeria, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Chile, Czech, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Germany, Israel, Korea, Mali, Nigeria, Jordan, Republic of Guinea, Japan, Mauritania, Zambia, Türkiye, South Sudan, Iran, Malta, Portugal, The Netherlands, Niger, USA, Finland, Pakistan, Tanzania, Spain, and Malaysia.
Additionally, two ambassadors from Canada and Egypt are accredited but are yet to present their letters of credence.
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On the other hand, 23 Ambassadors or High Commissioners were appointed to represent Rwanda in different countries of their respective jurisdictions and international organisations.
These include Nigeria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Ethiopia, Brazil, African Union, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Republic of Guinea, Bahrain, Morocco, Tanzania, United Nations, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea, Türkiye, Kenya, Angola, Indonesia, Hungary, Ghana, and Mozambique.
Diplomatic relations aim to promote political soundness between countries, security response, boost trade and investment, and cultural interactions, among many other things.
In June 2023, Rwanda and Poland signed an agreement to establish the Rwandan Diplomatic Academy that will focus on training diplomatic personnel across different domains.
Other developments also featured Rwanda’s decision to have a diplomatic presence in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and waiving visas for Rwandan travellers to the Kingdom of Jordan as a reciprocity deal signed between both foreign affairs ministries.
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In December 2023, Rwanda announced the opening of an embassy in Brazil which will be the country’s first embassy on the South American continent. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the second largest economy in the Americas.
Additionally, the country hosted about 10 business forums with different countries aimed to propel private sector contributions in developing long-lasting partnerships that they can benefit from through their activities across sectors.
This was also an occasion for Rwanda to showcase policies and incentives in place to create an enabling business climate and to attract potential investors in some key projects in the development of the country.
Seasonally, Kagame hosts diplomatic corps with residence in Rwanda in a moment of engagement on different aspects of relations, acknowledging the fruits of partnership, and a reminder of where the country stands in terms of values and perspective within the international community.
Another aspect that stood out was the Head-of-State’s gifting of cows to his counterparts and other high-ranking officials during their visit to Rwanda.
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However, not everything was a smooth ride, relations with DR Congo continued to deteriorate with the Kinshasa government "using Rwanda as a scapegoat” for its internal insecurities in the eastern region, and incidents of airspace violations with fighter jets on several occasions.
Kigali reiterated that it remains committed to the path of dialogue for peace even though it cannot idly stand in case provocations by the DR Congo continue.
Rwanda ended 2023 with more than 46 diplomatic missions covering more than 147 countries and international organisations, as well as more than 37 honorary consuls representing the country’s strategic interests in 17 countries.
At a regional and international level, Rwanda is a member of 201 multilateral organisations.