Rwanda and Barbados have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) that will see both countries opening skies for each other’s commercial airlines. READ ALSO: President Kagame makes case for deeper Rwanda-Barbados ties The deal was reached on Wednesday, November 9 following the signing of an agreement between Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Ernest Nsabimana, and Barbadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds. The two countries cited the need to strengthen cooperation in the aviation industry and promote trade and hospitality between both countries. With the current strong demand for an air link between Africa and the Caribbean, it is likely the agreement will ‘quickly’ materialize, analysts previously said. The need for an air link between both regions was a major talking point recently during the first ever AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum, held in Bridgetown, Barbados. Equally important, experts pushed for increased investment and trade. Passengers from Africa, traveling to the Caribbean need to first obtain a transit visa through North Atlantic countries. This was highly contended as wrong at the time. Rwanda-Barbados ties The BASA agreement comes at a time when Rwanda and Barbados have expressed the need to find concrete ways of deepening cooperation. On the same day the agreement was signed, the Minister of State in charge of the East African Community (EAC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received copies of credence of William Alexander McDonald, High Commissioner-designate of Barbados to Rwanda, with residence in Nairobi. During his visit to the island early this year, President Paul Kagame said that while both countries are separated by a great distance, they have some common challenges, and a lot of experiences to share with each other, in that sense ‘feeling very close.’ The New Times understands that both countries have initiated talks within potential areas of cooperation including the current ongoing construction of a vaccine manufacturing plant in Rwanda, as well as a bilateral investment treaty. Barbados has also previously waived visa requirements for Rwandans.
