COUNTRY PROFILE / RWANDA

Continent: Africa

Official name: Republic of Rwanda

Nature of regime: Presidential

Head of Federal State: Paul Kagame

Area: 26,338 km²

Currency: Rwandan francs

Population (2022): 13.3 million inhabitants

Capital: Kigali

Main towns: Butari, Kigali

Official languages: French, English, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili

Agreements and Conventions

At the diplomatic level, relations between Cote d’Ivoire and Rwanda are marked by the numerous visits of the High Authorities of the two (02) countries and by the signing of bilateral agreements.

Visits and meetings include:

• the 48-hour official visit of the Rwandan President to Cote d’Ivoire on December 20, 2018 which resulted in the signing of 04 cooperation agreements in the diplomatic fields. These include:
• the Agreement on Exemption from the Requirement of Entry, Transit and Stay Visas for 90 Days and the modernization of public administration;
• the Memorandum of Understanding on the Organization of the Joint Cooperation Commission;
• the Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cote d’Ivoire and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda;
• the Protocol on Cooperation on the Modernization of Public Administration.
• The friendship and working visit of the President of the Republic, H.E. Mr. Alassane OUATTARA, to Kigali in April 2018;
• The meeting between Presidents Alassane OUATTARA and Paul KAGAME on the sidelines of the G20 in June 2017, in Germany;
• The working visit of James KABAREBE, Minister of Defence of Rwanda to Cote d’Ivoire from December 03 to 06, 2011;
• The November 2011 visit of Prime Minister Guillaume SORO to Kigali on the occasion of the post-conflict peace conference.

At the economic and technical level, there exist between our two (2) countries:

• Cooperation Agreements in the economic, aviation, technical and scientific fields;
• an Air Transport Agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, signed on November 27, 2015 in Abidjan and ratified by Law No. 049/2016 of November 28, 2016, allowing the Rwandan company to serve Abidjan since November 2016.

A. Main exports of Cote d’Ivoire to RWANDA: Soap, organic surfactants, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, preparations of cereals, flours, starches or milk; pastries

 B. Main imports of CI into RWANDA: Optical, photographic or cinematographic instruments and apparatus, measuring, check-ups, Other made-up textile articles; sets; second-hand clothing and rags.

Sources : DGE-DPPSE

• Cote d’Ivoire's trade with Rwanda increased from 82 million of CFAF in 2018 to 458.09 million of CFAF in 2022.
• Over the period 2018-2022, the average value of Ivorian exports amounted to 213.126 million of CFAF /year against 14.714 million of CFAF for imports
• The trade balance is in surplus in favor of Cote d’Ivoire over the period 2018-2028.