Minister Biruta meets with his Spanish counterpart

On a visit to Spain, the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart José Manuel Albares, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. 

During the meeting, the two Ministers exchanged ways to expand bilateral cooperation and signed two agreements on: Higher Education and Diplomatic Training.

Rwanda and Spain have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1967. In December 2020, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta and Spain’s Arancha González Laya signed a memorandum of understanding, aiming at establishing and further consolidating bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In 2021, Spain named Rwanda as a country of economic interest in its Africa Strategy to 2023. Both countries have no joint investment even though there are some Spanish companies operating in Rwanda. 

In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Spain sent 20 peacekeepers and a transport plane to support the logistics of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, which failed to stop the genocide against Tutsi.  

Rwanda does not have an embassy in Spain; however its embassy in Paris, France, is accredited to Spain. Spain does not have an embassy in Rwanda; however, its embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is accredited to Rwanda. (End)