President Paul Kagame and President Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville on Tuesday presided over the signing of eight agreements as part of the efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The agreements were reached on the second day of President Kagame’s visit to the country. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Vincent Biruta and Congo’s Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, Minister for International Cooperation and Promotion of Public-Private Partnership conducted the signing ceremony. “On behalf of the government, I signed this April 12 several legal instruments that will promote the broadening and deepening of the field of cooperation between Congo and Rwanda,” Minister Nguesso said in a tweet. He added that the agreements touched different fields including agriculture, mining, skills training, culture, sport, protection of investments and management of economic entities. “This dynamic of cooperation, driven by the Rwandan and Congolese Heads of State, will ultimately allow the establishment of a real strategic partnership which will ensure that the level of economic relations reflects the depth of the ties between the two countries,” he added. Prior to the signing ceremony, President Kagame visited Oyo, the hometown of host President Nguesso, where he among others toured the Museum of Kiebe-Kiebe, a milk factory, a farm and a modern abattoir. On the first day of his 3-day visit, Kagame addressed a joint session of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies that make up the Congolese congress. His visit comes at a time Rwanda and Congo enjoy cordial bilateral relations. The growth of bilateral ties in leaps and bounds is further evidenced by last year’s agreements that would remove double taxation and visa requirements to ease trade between both countries. In the same year, both countries also signed agreements regarding military, education, and land management.
