Rwanda
Diplomatic relations between Poland and Rwanda were established on July 10th, 1962.
Political cooperation
Historical overview
From the 1960s to 2017, the Polish Ambassador to Kenya was accredited in Rwanda.
Then, from 2018, the Polish Ambassador to Tanzania was accredited in Rwanda.
On December 1st, 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Rwanda was established with its seat in Kigali. However, until it becomes fully operational, most activities will continue to be carried out by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dar es Salaam, including all consular activities.
In 2021, Rwanda opened its first ever diplomatic mission in Warsaw. Prof. Anastase Shyaka is the first Ambassador of Rwanda in Poland.
Political cooperation after 1989
On June 30, 2003, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation of Rwanda Charles Murigande visited Poland.
In 2009, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski paid a visit to Rwanda. He took part in the official opening of the General and Vocational Training Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Children in Kibeho, financed from Polish Aid funds. The Center is run by the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross. Minister Sikorski was received by the then Prime Minister of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza.
On January 17-18th, 2013, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs K. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz visited Rwanda. The visit was primarily relating to the Polish development cooperation projects.
In April 2018, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jacek Czaputowicz conducted political consultations with the Minister of State in the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Olivier J. P. Nduhungirehe. The talks concerned Poland's activity on the forum of the UN Security Council in the context of solving problems in Africa. During the visit, Minister J. Czaputowicz visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where he paid tribute to the victims of the genocide against Tutsi. During the ceremony attended by representatives of international courts and tribunals, the minister presented the Rafał Lemkin International Prize to the Aegis Trust organization, which commemorates the victims of crimes committed in 1994 in Rwanda. Minister Czaputowicz also visited the Center in Kibeho.
In September 2019, Rwanda was visited by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcin Przydacz. During the visit, he conducted political consultations with the Minister of State at the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olivier J. P. Nduhungirehe, and visited the Center in Kibeho.
On May 11, 2021, Foreign Ministers Zbigniew Rau and Vincent Biruta signed a MoU between the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda on political consultations, and a MoU between the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda on cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.
In October 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcin Przydacz took part in the EU-Africa ministerial meeting in Kigali.
On October 10-15, 2022, a delegation of the Polish Sejm and Senate visited Rwanda and participated in the 145th session of the IPU in Kigali and met with the chairman of the Rwandan Senate and the country's minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta.
On December 4-6, 2022, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paweł Jabłoński paid an official visit to Rwanda. He met with the Rwandan Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente and took part, together with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, in political and economic consultations. The visit was also attended by Polish deputy ministers: of Finance – Artur Soboń and of Development and Technology – Grzegorz Piechowiak.
Economic cooperation
Polish-Rwandan trade turnover remains low. LunaSmelter, founded by the Polish consortium Luma Investment and a local company, operates in Rwanda. The company manages the only modern tin smelter in East Africa.
An important event from the point of view of the development of economic relations between Poland and Rwanda was the Polish-Rwandan Business Forum, which took place on December 5, 2022 in Kigali. The event was attended by around 150 Polish and Rwandan companies and institutions.
Cultural cooperation
In Rwanda, in 2015, a film about the genocide "Birds Sing in Kigali" was shot, realized in cooperation with local authorities, directed by Joanna Kos-Krauze and late Krzysztof Krauze. Poland does not engage in active cultural cooperation with Rwanda. During the visit of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcin Przydacz in September 2019, a 'national reading' was organized with the participation of Polish diaspora and graduates of Polish universities.
Academic cooperation
Bilateral agreements:
On May 11, 2021, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau and Vincent Biruta signed a MoU between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda on cooperation in the field of higher education.
Recognition of academic qualifications
Documents confirming education are recognized on general principles. Poland and Rwanda did not sign any bilateral agreements in this respect.
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