Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Martin Ngoga, and his counterpart from Antigua and Barbuda, Amb. Walton Webson, on Thursday, July 17, signed a set of agreements aimed at strengthening the two countries' bilateral cooperation across key sectors of mutual interest in New York. These agreements are a visa waiver agreement and two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the field of health and on cooperation in tourism. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s interest in the Caribbean is helping fuel South-South ties The visa waiver agreement removes the requirement for entry, transit, and visitor visas for nationals of both countries, on a reciprocal basis. This agreement is expected to ease travel, encourage cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and citizen-focused diplomacy that removes barriers, enhances mobility, and fosters stronger transatlantic engagement. ALSO READ: Africa-Caribbean cooperation: Kagame makes case for free movement Ngoga reaffirmed Rwanda’s readiness to deepen cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda both within the United Nations framework and through direct bilateral collaboration. “This milestone reflects the mutual interest in expanding meaningful ties between our nations. It demonstrates a shared ambition to move beyond geographic distance and build durable partnerships rooted in common values, and development priorities, ” Ngoga stated. The two countries also formalized two Memoranda of Understanding focused on the health and tourism sectors. Under the health MoU, the parties will collaborate on areas including disease prevention and control, HIV/AIDS and malaria programs, health insurance systems, pharmaceutical cooperation, epidemiological surveillance, and maternal and child health. These areas present significant opportunities for technical exchange, joint programming, and capacity building. The tourism MoU sets a foundation for joint tourism promotion, and encourages innovation in eco-tourism, green energy solutions, and climate-resilient tourism policies. The Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative, hailed the agreements as “a profound step forward in forging Transatlantic alliances between two dynamic nations that share common goals in innovation, resilience, and global engagement. It opens new opportunities for tourism, trade, education, and cultural exchanges, enabling deeper connectivity between the peoples of Africa and the Caribbean, he said.
