President Paul Kagame lauded the existing bilateral relations with Algeria and its support in the education of Rwandan students in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science. ALSO READ: Kagame in Algeria for two-day visit Kagame, who is on a two-day official visit to Algeria, said this at a press conference jointly held with his counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune on June 3, in the capital Algiers. The two leaders held a tête-à-tête discussing the importance of intra-African cooperation, with a focus on free trade as well as knowledge and skills exchange. They also discussed the lessons learned from rebuilding a nation following a difficult history. ALSO READ: Kagame, Algeria president discuss infrastructure, agric partnerships “This beautiful city, alive with both history and progress, is a testament to the strength and dignity of the Algerian people,” Kagame remarked. “The President and I had very constructive discussions, which built on the longstanding friendship between our two countries. A diplomatic presence of Rwanda in Algeria, which we hope to have soon, will create more opportunities to strengthen our economic ties and see more engagement between our private sectors.” Kagame thanked President Tebboune for Algeria's support for Rwandan students in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and data science. “This reflects the forward-looking nature of our partnership and our shared interest to build the capacity of our people in various fields,” he said ALSO READ: Rwanda, Algeria sign 11 cooperation deals The Rwandan leader also toured Algeria’s National School of Artificial Intelligence (ENSIA) –a leading institution dedicated to education, research, and innovation in Artificial Intelligence. ENSIA, which currently has five Rwandan students enrolled, offers a combined bachelor's and master's degree in AI and data science. The two Heads of State also presided over the signing of 11 cooperation agreements in different development fields between both countries, including air service, visa exemption, communication, police, pharmaceutical industries, and higher education. The agreements also span agriculture, entrepreneurship, telecommunication, justice, professional training, and investment promotion. Kagame noted that agreements open new avenues for collaboration between both countries. “We also value the close cooperation between our countries in multilateral forums where we support each other on regional and global issues,” he said. “In moments of uncertainty like we are experiencing globally, Africa needs to stay united towards a common vision. Allow me to reaffirm Rwanda's determination to build on this momentum and to work together for the benefit of the people of our two countries.” During his visit, he laid a wreath at the Maqam Echahid (Martyrs’ Memorial) in Algiers, paying tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the Algerian War of Independence. Kagame and Tebboune last met in December 2024, on the sidelines of the Continental Forum on Education and Youth Employability in Nouakchott, Mauritania, where they deliberated on ways of improving the bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of education, defence and security, as well as opportunities for new partnerships in agriculture and infrastructure.
