Rwanda and Azerbaijan Forge Stronger Ties with Landmark Agreements and Promising Collaboration

On September 20, 2025, the governments of Rwanda and Azerbaijan signed five agreements aimed at strengthening collaboration in sectors such as agriculture, education, space communication services, trade, and service delivery.

Agreements related to space communication, education, and agriculture were signed by Gen (Retired) James Kabarebe, Minister of State for Regional Integration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

A separate agreement focusing on service provision and economic cooperation was signed by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Rwanda, Ruslan Nasibov, and Juliana Kangeli Muganza, Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

Following the signing ceremonies, both Presidents—Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan—reaffirmed their mutual dedication to deepening bilateral relations. President Kagame assured President Aliyev that Rwanda is committed to actively working towards maximizing the benefits of these agreements, emphasizing the importance of the friendship and collaboration between the two nations to accelerate progress.

President Aliyev expressed satisfaction that their partnership, which began in 2017, has grown through tangible results and numerous exchanges, including visits from Azerbaijani delegations to Rwanda. He also appreciated Rwanda hosting a recent visit from a prominent Azerbaijani foundation’s president, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation.

Aliyev pointed out that there is great potential to expand educational links, noting that a Rwandan student is currently studying in Azerbaijan. He stressed that increasing opportunities for Rwandan students to study in Azerbaijan should be a priority, involving cooperation within Azerbaijan’s scholarship programs.

He further mentioned that Azerbaijan has an organization called ASAN, which offers high-quality public services, and expressed readiness to support Rwanda with technical and financial aid to develop similar infrastructure.

President Kagame expressed interest in visiting the ASAN service center to learn from its operations, emphasizing that Rwanda could significantly benefit from adopting such a successful model. He highlighted the impressive achievements of ASAN and the positive impact it has had on Azerbaijani citizens.

After the signing and discussions, Kagame toured the ASAN center. During his visit, representatives from the organization and Juliana Kangeli Muganza of RDB signed a cooperation agreement aimed at establishing mechanisms for improving public service delivery in Rwanda.