Rwanda and Mexico on Wednesday, January 28, marked 50 years of diplomatic relations, reflecting on growing cooperation in diplomacy, finance, tourism and multilateral engagement.

The two countries formally established diplomatic ties on January 21, 1976, according to an official communiqué issued at the time. The anniversary was commemorated at an event held in Nairobi, Kenya.

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The event featured an exhibition of photographs and historical documents tracing five decades of relations between the two nations. Among the items on display was the original telegram announcing the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Speaking at the event, Mexico’s Ambassador to Rwanda, resident in Kenya, Gisele Fernández Ludlow, said that despite the geographical distance between Mexico and Rwanda, the two countries have built strong and lasting relations in areas of shared interest.

"Mexico and Rwanda have cultivated a relationship in tax transparency, financial integrity, and broader diplomatic engagement through Africa-focused initiatives, reflecting a shared commitment to global governance and cooperation,” she said.

The celebration, she added, invites both countries not only to honour the past and acknowledge the present, but also to renew the shared commitment to the future.

"Rwanda’s growth in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, combined with Mexico’s experience in this field, opens new avenues for exchange, investment, and cooperation in tourism,” she noted.

Ernest Rwamucyo, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Kenya, pointed out that Rwanda highly values the cordial and principled cooperation it enjoys with Mexico, both bilaterally and on the international stage.

"Over the past five decades, Rwanda and Mexico have maintained sustained and meaningful interactions, particularly within multilateral forums, where our countries have consistently upheld shared principles of multilateralism, dialogue, international solidarity, and respect for international law,” he said.

These engagements, he added, have strengthened mutual understanding and contributed positively to global peace and sustainable development.

Rwamucyo also underlined that Rwanda remains keen to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with Mexico across a broad range of areas, including political consultations, trade and investment, education, innovation, tourism, agriculture, climate action, and South-South cooperation.

Currently, Mexico is accredited to Rwanda through its Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, and maintains an Honorary Consulate in Kigali. Rwanda is accredited to Mexico through its Embassy in Washington, D.C.

According to Aimable Rumongi, Honorary Consul of Mexico in Rwanda, who was at the celebration event in Nairobi, there have been growing people-to-people relations between the two countries following the inauguration of Mexico’s Honorary Consulate to Kigali in 2019.