Rwanda and Kazakhstan on Wednesday, May 28, signed multiple agreements of cooperation in various sectors, including one on critical minerals. The agreements were signed during President Paul Kagame's visit to the Central Asian country, where he met with his counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. ALSO READ: Kagame, Kazakh president hold tête-a-tête discussions Our two countries are good friends and partners and we want to build on this strong foundation to further deepen our partnership, Kagame said after the signing ceremony, which followed a tête-a-tête meeting with Tokayev. As you have witnessed with the signing of the agreements, we intend to explore more opportunities for collaboration. Whether in the fields of trade, technology or agriculture, our two countries are eager to learn from each other. We welcome the general cooperation agreement on critical minerals between the Rwanda Mining Board and Samruk-Kazyna [Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund]. Rwanda can benefit immensely from Kazakhstan's know-how, especially in the field of energy, mining and mineral processing. ALSO READ: Ten fascinating things about Kazakhstan, home to the Baikonur Cosmodrome The two presidents also witnessed the signing of agreements on diplomatic and political consultations, ICT, education, agriculture and finance. In Rwanda, we are investing in our local manufacturing capacity, notably in vaccines, which Kazakhstan has also been doing. We look forward to building on this shared experience to continue innovating for the mutual benefit of our people, Kagame said. The Rwandan leader, who arrived in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, is expected to deliver remarks at the Astana International Forum. At a time when our international systems are becoming more fragmented, we must resist the temptation to grow even further apart and instead come together to find common ground. I'm confident the forum will give us the platform to do just that, Kagame said. He invited the Kazakh leader to visit Rwanda. This is President Kagame's second visit to Kazakhstan, a former constituent of the Soviet Union. He first visited the country in 2015.
