PH, RWANDA SIGN MOU TO BOLSTER BILATERAL COOPERATION

PH Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang and Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta sign the MOU on behalf of their respective governments. (Photo by MINAFFET-Rwanda)

NAIROBI, 08 December 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Rwanda Marie Charlotte G. Tang (with residence in Nairobi) and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Establishment of General Bilateral Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda on 05 December 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda. 

During a tête-à-tête prior to the signing ceremony, Ambassador Tang hailed the agreement as a milestone in Philippines-Rwanda relations, as it will provide direction and structure for cooperation between the two countries. 

Foreign Minister Biruta noted the longstanding and cordial ties between Rwanda and the Philippines, and expressed the hope that the MOU would open doors for the two countries to have a more vibrant engagement across different sectors.

Under the MOU, the Philippines and Rwanda will collaborate in the fields of human resources development, scientific and technological exchanges, education, health, agriculture, gender, youth, environmental issues, and security. 

During her visit to Kigali, Ambassador Tang also took the opportunity to meet with Rwandan officials from the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, the Rwanda National Police, and the Rwanda Development Board, initiating discussions on specific collaborations in support of the newly-signed MOU. 

Rwanda, a small landlocked country in central Africa, has emerged from the ashes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to become one of Africa’s most dynamic and fastest-growing economies. Rwanda, known as the “land of a thousand hills”, is also recognized for its conservation success of the critically endangered mountain gorilla. END.

Ambassador Tang and Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta pose for a photo after the signing ceremony (Photo by MINAFFET-Rwanda)

Ambassador Tang and Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Dr. Valentine Uwamariya discuss potential areas of collaboration in advancing SDG5 and other global objectives on gender. (Photo from the MIGEPROF-Rwanda)

Ambassador Tang (fourth from left) met with Inspector General of the Rwanda National Police of Rwanda National Police (RNP) Felix Namuhoranye (fifth from left) to exchange views and best practices on participation in UN peacekeeping missions. (Photo by RNP)

Ambassador Tang also met with Ms. Nelly Mukazayire, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), to identify areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Rwanda, particularly in business and tourism.