Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman and his Rwanda counterpart, Louise Mushikiwabo opened the Rwanda-Israel Business Seminar and sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing bilateral consultations between Rwanda & Israel.

The event was held with the participation of 200 business people from Israel and Rwanda. Liberman said that Rwanda shares the same history with Rwanda and it is in the interest of both countries to strengthen the existing bilateral relations, rather than being strategic allies.

“I see great importance to investment in Africa, in the humanitarian, economic and political spheres,” said Liberman, “There are many areas where Israel can help with aid and development: Agriculture, water management, medicine, combating terrorism, and more.”

60 members of Israel Chamber of Commerce and Rwanda private sector counterparts met in Kigali to initiate business ties.The Israel minister’s official three-day visit to Rwanda is aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The move comes at a time when Rwanda plans to open an Embassy in Israel soon, among other countries like Zambia, Congo-Brazzaville, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).The two ministers also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing bilateral consultations between Rwanda & Israel after at the meeting in Serena hotel Kigali today.

The memorandum will serve as a mechanism for promotion of cooperation in different areas notably education, health, energy and technology transfer among others. Rwanda and Israel established diplomatic relations soon after Rwanda’s independence in July 1962 which was severed later in October 1973 and restored in October 1994. The two countries enjoy a warm and cordial bilateral relation with cooperation in economic, trade, investments and capacity building areas.