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.