President Kagame (left) and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan witnessed the agreements signing in Ankara
The agreements were formalized on January 23, 2025, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, following a tête-à-tête meeting between President Kagame and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with bilateral discussions involving both delegations.
The agreements address various areas, including media communication and broadcasting (radio and TV), aviation safety, and defense.
“In our meetings today with my esteemed friend, we discussed the steps we will take to strengthen our cooperation in trade, investments, energy, education, culture, the defense industry, and research and development,” Erdoğan stated.
Turkey in Rwanda:
Amahoro stadium and BK Arena in Kigali, constructed by a Turkish company-Suuma, employed thousands of Rwandan youth.
President Kagame expressed appreciation for Turkey’s investments in infrastructure, particularly major construction projects carried out by Turkish companies like Suuma, which has delivered significant housing structures and renovated the Amahoro Stadium and BK Arena, plus many ministerial and administrative offices in Kigali.
Hakan energy, a Turkish contractor is also working on Gisagara Peat to Power plant, that will add to Rwanda achieving its 100% electricity access goals in the NST2, as energy demands increase due to growing manufacturing and industry sectors.
In tourism, one of the biggest hot air balloon companies from Turkey has started testing flies on Akagera National Park and very soon they are going to launch the program national wide to increase tourism attractions and revenues for Rwanda.
This adds to the Turkish Airlines sponsorship to Rwanda’s golf tourism- which the country is heavily banking on to diversify its tourism attractions with the growing numbers of visitors and meeting/ conferences held in Kigali City annually.
Financially, Turkey is also exploring the finance sector, keeping in mind that Kigali International Finance Center, among other areas.
In the education sector, the Turkish government is also discussing with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education on establishment of a Technical and Vocational Education Training Centre as part of the existing academic and culture cooperation where Turkey offers fully funded scholarships to Rwandans for Masters’ and PhD students.
The two Heads of State held closed talks
Kagame also thanked the Turkish government for its mediation efforts in addressing conflicts in Africa, especially in Somalia and Ethiopia, and suggested that similar efforts could be applied to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since opening their embassies in Ankara in 2011 and Kigali in 2016, the two countries have built a strong relationship.
Both Heads of State discussed further steps to enhance cooperation in trade, investments, energy, education, culture, the defense industry, and research and development.
Since establishing diplomatic relations, trade volumes between Rwanda and Turkey have surged from $1 million to nearly $500 million, facilitated by numerous investments made by Turkish nationals in both nations.
President Erdoğan praised the growing bilateral relations between Rwanda and Turkey and acknowledged Rwanda’s vital contributions to stability and security in East Africa and the Great Lakes Region.
President Kagame (left) and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the signing
He emphasized that as Turkey seeks to strengthen its relations with Africa through a holistic, institutional, and systematic approach, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should ideally be resolved peacefully.
“We hope that the conflict with the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be resolved through peaceful means. We wholeheartedly support direct negotiations mediated by Angola,” he added.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (left) welcoming President Kagame at the Presidential complex in Ankara
President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame visited the Anitkabir the resting place of Türkiye’s founder and first President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
President Kagame pays tribute to Türkiye’s founder and first President, late Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
