Senior military officials from Rwanda and Russia are meeting in Kigali this week to assess the progress of bilateral defence ​and explore new areas of cooperation.

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The three-day Rwanda-Russia Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation., hosted by Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) from May 20 to 22, is the seventh such meeting. It is a platform established to strengthen military and technical cooperation between the two countries.

The talks brought together senior officials from Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and representatives from the Russian Federation responsible for military and technical cooperation.

The session is co-chaired by Brig Gen Patrick Karuretwa, the Director General of International Military Cooperation in the Ministry of Defence, and Anatoly Punchuk, Deputy Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation.

According to the RDF, the annual commission provides an opportunity for both sides to review the status of existing defence engagements while identifying new areas where the two countries can deepen collaboration.

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On the sidelines of the meeting, the visiting Russian delegation held separate discussions with Defence Minister Juvenal Marizamunda and the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Mubarakh Muganga.

The meetings focused on exchanging views regarding priority areas in the bilateral military partnership and ways to further strengthen cooperation between Rwanda and Russia.