Rwanda and Israel will have an official political dialogue for the first time in the history of the relations between the two countries. The dialogue will be attended by a high-ranking delegation from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by the Israeli ambassador to Rwanda, Yoram Elron, as well as the general director of the Africa division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the head of Israel Co-operation Agency-(MASHAV), ambassador Gil Haskel. The delegation will be in the country from November 20-23, according to a statement from the Israeli Embassy in Rwanda. During their stay, the delegation will tour the Agriculture Centre of Excellence as they seek to kickoff the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Exports Development Board (NAEB). Rwanda, Israel ties Rwanda and Israel have enjoyed strong bilateral relations in the recent past, especially in the areas education, health, energy, agriculture and technology. The two countries share the unfortunate history both experienced - the Holocaust and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. During his visit to Rwanda, last July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the countries’ “shared understanding of Genocide.” Netanyahu, who celebrated Rwanda’s “vibrancy and determination”, observed that the two countries were similar in ways, including turning themselves around and rising after tragic pasts. “We both persevered despite the pain, and despite the hurt, we survived. We never lost hope and you never lost hope. Today, Israel and Rwanda are successful states and models for progress,” he said. During Netanyahu’s visit, President Paul Kagame pointed out, “Given the two histories of the state of Israel and Rwanda, we have been formed and shaped to think and do things in a certain way based mainly on the major resource we have, that is our people, the other resources come after.” Rwanda and Israel, in July, stepped up their partnership and co-operation by signing three bilateral agreements as ground for future partnerships. The three agreements are in the areas of joint declaration of intent on innovation, visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports, and joint declaration in the field of agriculture. In June 2014, a delegation of more than 60 Israeli high-ranking officials, led by Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman, came to Rwanda for a three-day visit. In March 2015, Cabinet named Col Joseph Rutabana as Rwanda’s ambassador to Israel. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
