High Commissioner Julie Crowley (left) of Canada with President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office-Village Urugwiro.
New envoys of Canada, Egypt, and Kenya to Rwanda have said that they have a lot to deliver during their term of office to further the existing diplomatic relationship between their countries and Rwanda.
The new envoys made the remarks this March 26, 2024 after presenting their letters of credence to President Paul Kagame, at Village Urugwiro.
The new envoys include: High Commissioner Julie Crowley of Canada, Ambassador Nermine Mohamed Essam Eldin Elshafie El Zawahry of Egypt, and High Commissioner Janet Mwawasi Oben of Kenya.
Julie Crowley said that Rwanda and Canada have a long time good bilateral relationship and she is here to advance that relation in many priority areas such as: commercial ties, work with diaspora in Canada, and investment for Canadian companies on top of those established in Rwanda.
“I am now fully able to engage and advance the good bilateral relation between Canada and Rwanda. It will be easy for me to do so considering how already well established this relationship are,” Crowley said.
Crowley noted that Canada will continue to offer support to Rwanda’s government priority areas of development, technical support and assistance in health, education, job creation and collaborate with various learning institutions.
“So we have a lot on our plate. We are extremely excited of the idea of advancing all of that and I know Canada is quite close to the heart of many people in Rwanda,” Crowley said.
Crowley stated that Canada is grateful for the Rwandans’ interest in studying in Canada, which is seen year- on-year- with some bright young students applying and she confirmed that will continue with no doubt.
“We will also encourage partnership between Canadian universities and Rwanda universities so that the technical collaboration can take place and enrich the others here in terms of masters and PhDs,” she said.
Ambassador Nermine Mohamed Essam Eldin Elshafie El Zawahry (left) of Egypt with President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office-Village Urugwiro.
Elshafie El Zawahry (of Egypt) said that there is a political will on the Egyptian side to engage and enhance the bilateral relations in all fields and sectors especially the political, economic, health, security and military.
“Egypt is willing to cooperate in different fields and to engage more with Rwanda bilaterally and in addition to the regional and international values,” she said.
Kenyan High Commissioner, Janet Mwawasi Oben stated that the relationship between the two nations dates back in 1965, which has been cordial and fraternal in political and economic cooperation.
“Kenya aims to retain its position as one of Rwanda’s trade partners,”
Kenya is one of the leading regional exporters to Rwanda in products such as foods, beverage, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel; while the latter depends much on the Mombasa port in Kenya for its exports in products such as coffee, tea, horticulture, hides and skin among others.
“Trade volumes in the last years has risen and I look forward to engaging the Rwandan authorities to build on this good relationship built over the years on exchange of goods and services,” Mwawasi Oben said.
Kenyan High Commissioner, Janet Mwawasi Oben (left) with President Paul Kagame at the President’s Office-Village Urugwiro
Rwanda and Kenya have recently embarked on plans to kick start the construction of infrastructure facilities at the Naivasha Cargo Dry Port to facilitate trade between the two states.
In 2022, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta handed over the official document of the four hectares of land at Naivasha Industrial Area allocated to Rwanda.
The land given to Rwanda in Naivasha is supposed to be used for warehouses for goods from the port of Mombasa.
CS Murkomen said that the move by Rwanda would be beneficial to Kenya as the facility would improve the movement of goods between the two countries.
