Austria’s envoy Amb. Dr. Christian Fellener(L) and Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Ernest Nsabimana
Rwanda and the Federal Government of Austria have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) that allows the National carrier, RwandAir to operate direct flights to Austrian airports.
At the signing, Rwanda was represented by Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Ernest Nsabimana while Austria was represented by Amb. Dr. Christian Fellener, Austria envoy to Rwanda on Tuesday 19.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the development is expected to be a catalyst to the Social, economic, relations and development of both countries.
“If we look at the development of the last decades, air transport has become more and more important, now, Covid-19 has changed things, but we are confident that air transport is going to be more important in the future. This signing is another step of intensifying the relations of Rwanda and Austria. If you look at the development, it is intense year to year,” Fellener said.
“I’m confident that the relations will develop further, possibly in the future,” Fellener added.
BASA agreement finds existing cooperation in various sectors, between both countries including Education, Information and Communication Technology, among others.
For example, this week, Rwanda and Austria also signed a EURO 7.5 million (Approx Rwf7.5 billion) finance agreement with UNICREDIT Bank of Austria to support the construction of a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Center located in Kigali Special Economic Zone.
The partnership agreement was signed on Monday, July 18, in Kigali by Uzziel Ndagijimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Alfred Gusenbauer, former Austrian Chancellor.
Utilizing technologies available on the Austrian market, the school will be built up and furnished. Additionally, the project marks the start of a closer cooperation between the two nations, according to Gusenbauer.
The school will be set up and equipped using technology from the Austrian market. And, according to Gusenbauer, the project is the beginning of a stronger relationship between the two countries.
Similarly, the BASA agreement aims at further improving bilateral relations including the aviation sector.
“Rwanda and Austria will strongly expand trade and tourism, of course, as you know this aviation traffic is subject to the International aviation standard. So, we know RwandAir is opening up routes across the world, it has entered Europe, and it is a great opportunity to open up more,” Dr. Nsabimana said.
