The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, is in Singapore for the fifth edition of the Singapore-Africa Ministerial Exchange Visit (SAMEV), a high-level platform that brings together African and Singaporean leaders to strengthen ties and share development experiences.

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The meeting scheduled from August 26 to 28, is hosted by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan.

SAMEV, which has been held biennially since 2014, has grown into a key forum for building stronger partnerships between Africa and Singapore, particularly in sustainable development, innovation, and economic transformation.

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This year’s edition brings together 14 Ministers and Deputy Ministers from across the continent, including representatives from Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

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The African leaders are expected to engage in a series of meetings with Singapore’s top leadership, including Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.

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The delegation will further hold discussions with other key Singaporean officials, among them Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, as well as senior ministers and state ministers across portfolios such as urban development, education, transport, trade, and foreign affairs. These engagements are designed to facilitate dialogue on issues ranging from sustainable development and climate resilience to trade and investment cooperation.

In addition to ministerial exchanges, the African leaders will participate in the 8th Africa-Singapore Business Forum (ASBF), organised by Enterprise Singapore, which serves as a platform to expand trade and investment flows between the two regions.

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Rwanda and Singapore enjoy longstanding bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including education, ICT, and carbon trading, among others.