President Paul Kagame on Thursday, October 8, received Senegal’s Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang at Village Urugwiro for a discussion on the two countries' bilateral relations.

According to the Office of the President, Kagame and Niang discussed ways to further strengthen the "fruitful bilateral relations” between Rwanda and Senegal.

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The meeting follows the inaugural session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation between Rwanda and Senegal, held in Kigali on Wednesday.

During the session, Niang and his Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, signed 11 cooperation agreements covering areas including development, trade and bilateral relations.

The joint commission was held alongside the Rwanda-Senegal Investment Forum, which brought together business leaders and investors from the two countries.

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At the forum, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Senegal’s Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Major Projects (APIX) signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for the two agencies to collaborate in identifying investment opportunities and connecting businesses and investors from both countries.

The latest engagements build on growing ties between the two countries.

In October 2025, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye visited Rwanda for a three-day visit, during which he and Kagame witnessed the signing of several agreements aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation.

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The agreements included visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, service and ordinary passports, as well as protocols on cooperation in agriculture and livestock, health, and the development of strategic programmes.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in correctional and penitentiary services.