Ukraine is seeking to strengthen its relations with Rwanda through closer parliamentary ties and expanded cooperation in agriculture, education, culture, sports and the economy, Ukrainian lawmakers have said. A delegation led by MP Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Relations, and Zhan Beleniuk, a Ukrainian MP of Rwandan descent and former Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, visited Rwanda for two days as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations. Beleniuk also leads the Ukrainian Parliament’s friendship group with Rwanda. Speaking to The New Times’ The Context Podcast, the lawmakers said the visit was intended to establish stronger parliamentary links and identify areas where the two countries could expand cooperation. ALSO READ: Zhan Beleniuk, a Ukraine Olympic medalist with Rwandan blood “We have been planning such a visit for a long time because our strategy envisages developing relations with countries in Africa. Rwanda was at the top of our list because we see huge potential in relations between our countries, starting with inter-parliamentary connections,” Merezhko said. Building on diplomatic ties During the visit, the delegation met Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe and members of the Rwandan Parliament. The visit came less than two weeks after Nduhungirehe met his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two countries signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Merezhko said the parliamentary visit provided an opportunity to build on those engagements, as well as Rwanda’s position on issues concerning Ukraine at the United Nations. He said Ukraine was also interested in expanding cooperation beyond parliamentary relations. “We have lots of different kinds of plans that we will be trying to develop, not only into parliamentary relations, but also economic relations, relations in terms of culture, education, and so on,” he said. Africa a strategic priority Merezhko said strengthening ties with Rwanda was part of Ukraine’s wider effort to deepen relations with African countries. “We can do a lot and give a lot to each other. We can, for example, share our experience in terms of producing drones and air defence systems. Nowadays, it's becoming a top priority in terms of defence and security capabilities of many countries, but we have cutting-edge technologies in this area, and we are eager to share our experience with African countries.” He also identified agriculture as another area where the two countries could explore practical cooperation, pointing to Rwanda’s coffee sector as an example. “We can think about developing joint projects, joint ventures, creating factories, producing these products, and so on,” he said. Exploring sectoral cooperation The Ukrainian lawmakers said they also see opportunities in education and culture, with further discussions expected as the relationship develops. According to Beleniuk, sports could provide another avenue for closer ties, including exchanges between athletes and training camps. Beleniuk, whose father was Rwandan, said his background could also help strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries. “I think in this position, I can be like this bridge between our countries,” he said. However, he noted that sports cooperation was still at the discussion stage and would require further engagement with Rwanda’s Ministry of Sports.
