Rwanda and Tanzania officials have kicked off a meeting aimed at enhancing ties in various fields. The meeting, which started on Monday, October 25, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is a follow-up on the directives issued by the two countries’ leaders in August this year. Presidents Paul Kagame and Samia Suluhu Hassan met in Kigali where they held bilateral discussions, signed four bilateral agreements – including on cooperation in information and communication technology, cooperation in areas of immigration, cooperation in education as well as cooperation in areas of regulation of medical products. The two leaders, together, visited different factories at the Kigali Special Economic Zone, among others. Members of the private sector saw President Suluhus two-day State visit as an opportunity for both countries to make the thriving business between the two countries even better. The ongoing meeting, the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), will end on Thursday, October 28. Rwandas envoy in Tanzania, Maj Gen Charles Karamba, told The New Times that; “The meeting is looking at cooperation in several areas, political and diplomatic. The economic sector to include, trade and investment and then areas of infrastructure, energy, tourism, agriculture, ICT, and others.” In addition to the ministers, the meeting is also being attended by a team of technicians and permanent secretaries. The Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam handles more than 85 per cent of the cargo destined or transiting through Rwanda. Speaking during Suluhus visit, in August, Kagame said that beyond sharing a border, the two nations have strong historical ties and a common aspiration to deliver prosperity to their citizens. Suluhu said that going forward, they seek to build on the historic ties to go beyond existing areas of cooperation.
