Russia and Rwanda have exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“October 17 marks the 60th Anniversary of diplomatic ties between Russia and Rwanda. Rwanda is a major partner of Russia on the African continent. Mutual respect has always remained the core principle underpinning our relations”, says Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
“We congratulate our Rwandan friends on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. We look forward to enhancing our good cooperation and partnership. Prosperity and good fortune to both our countries and peoples!”, the Russian Embassy in Rwanda adds via twitter.
The Rwandan Ministry of Foreign affairs and international cooperation says that “Rwanda commends the good bilateral relations with Russia based on mutual respect and understanding”
On 30 June 1962, a day before Rwanda gained independence from Belgium, the Soviet Union sent a telegram to Kigali recognising Rwanda as a sovereign and independent state, and offered to establish diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations were established between the two states on 17 October 1963.
Rwanda recognised the Russian Federation in January 1992 as the successor state of the Soviet Union, after the latter’s dissolution. Due to financial difficulties, the Rwandan Embassy in Moscow closed at the end of 1995, and all the activities of the Embassy were shifted to the Rwandan Embassy in Berlin-Germany until recently in March 2013 when the Rwandan cabinet appointed its new Ambassador to Russia to be based in Moscow.
The current Ambassador of Rwanda to Russia is Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, while the current Ambassador of Russia to Rwanda is Karen Chalyan, who was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met on the sidelines of the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in June 2018. Kagame visited again in 2019 during the 1st Russia-Africa Summit.