Rwanda, Venezuela waive visas for holders of diplomatic, official passports

Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente on November 1 received the Minister of the People's Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and discussions centred on strengthening bilateral cooperation in various sectors. Minister Yván Eduardo Gil Pinto's discussions with Ngirente also include the agreement between the two countries to waive visa requirements for diplomatic, official, and special passport holders. ALSO READ: President Kagame receives credentials of four new envoys Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed the media, emphasizing the focus of the discussions on bilateral cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted the significance of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, which will exempt holders of diplomatic, official, and special passports from the visa requirement. “Removing the visa requirement will facilitate cooperation between both countries' government institutions and streamline the process of signing agreements in various sectors. Currently, we have already discussed other agreements relating to infrastructure and tourism, and we have reached an agreement to sign them at the beginning of next year (2024),” he stated. Biruta further emphasized that other areas of cooperation include sectors like health, education, and energy, among others. “We have also committed to accelerating the pace of this cooperation,” he added. Pinto, who is on a three-day visit, emphasized that his trip to Rwanda follows the meeting of the presidents of both countries held in September. He stated that during the meeting, instructions were given to enhance relations and foster direct cooperation between Rwanda and Venezuela. “That's what we discussed today. We explored different areas of cooperation, including tourism, energy, education, and agriculture, among other potential areas of collaboration,” he said. Furthermore, he pointed out that they also discussed the possibility of establishing a mixed committee that might commence its work in 2024. Commenting on the commission, Biruta emphasized that it will play a crucial role in facilitating discussions regarding agreements across various sectors. “The commission's primary responsibilities include assessing each country's capacity and sharing insights on lessons that one nation can draw from another. This commission is tasked with preparing all the necessary items to move these discussions forward,” he said. Biruta added that it is anticipated that the commission will commence its work in preparation for the signing of the agreements, which is scheduled to take place in 2024 during a commission meeting headed by the Foreign Affairs ministers of both countries.

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Rwanda, Venezuela waive visas for holders of diplomatic, official passports