Rwanda and Zimbabwe have signed five new agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation in key sectors including health, youth affairs, police cooperation, customs, and energy.

The agreements were inked on Wednesday, August 6, during the Ministerial Session of the Third Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) between the two countries.

“We have signed five new agreements today, in the fields of health, youth affairs, police cooperation, the exchange of customs information, and the renewed MOU on energy,” said foreign affairs minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, as he pointed out that there is a growing friendship between the two countries, grounded in shared values, Pan-African solidarity, and a joint commitment to sustainable development.

He also talked about Rwanda’s longstanding support for Zimbabwe on regional and international matters, particularly in calling for the removal of sanctions.

“Rwanda has consistently called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by some Western countries. Rwanda also supports the return of Zimbabwe in the Commonwealth family, and we believe that this is long overdue and a matter of principle,” he said.

Nduhungirehe commended Zimbabwe’s leadership during its recent chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), including its role in addressing the conflict in eastern DR Congo.

“Rwanda remains ready to support any and all efforts aimed at genuinely bringing peace in our region,” he said. “We share the belief that African-led processes can contribute meaningfully to a long-term solution.”

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amon Murwira, described the bilateral relationship as “strong and excellent,” noting it has grown steadily over the years.

He appreciated Rwanda’s consistent call to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe.
However, he noted that while political ties are strong, trade between the two countries still holds untapped potential.

“Zimbabwe is ready to export more products to Rwanda, including agricultural products such as sugar and blueberries, and other fast-moving and strategic goods. We expect Rwanda to do the same for Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We are ready to establish a network of warehouses, Zimbabwean goods warehouses in Rwanda and Rwandan goods warehouses in Zimbabwe to enable trade because trade needs infrastructure. This is a practical way to enable this,” he added.