New Delhi [India]: India and Rwanda held the second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in New Delhi on Thursday, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and exploring new avenues for collaboration across various sectors.
The 2nd India-Rwanda FoC co-chaired by Mayank Singh, Jt. Secy(E&SA) & Virgile Rwanyagatare, DG(Asia, Pacific & Middle East Affairs) @RwandaMFA, were held today in New Delhi.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 5, 2024
Both sides reviewed all facets of bilateral relations including political, trade & investment, defence,… pic.twitter.com/U9KQCTdeU5
“The Second India-Rwanda Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held in New Delhi on December 5, 2024. The Indian side was led by Shri Mayank Singh, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, and the Rwandan side was led by Mr. Virgile Rwanyagatare, Director General (Asia, Pacific and Middle East Affairs), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Government of Rwanda,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
The consultations reviewed the progress made since the First India-Rwanda FOC, which took place in Kigali on May 3, 2018. The discussions covered a wide range of areas, including political engagement, trade and investment, defence, energy, agriculture, health, education, digital platforms, human resource development, and capacity-building initiatives.
Emerging areas of cooperation such as space, critical technologies, cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA&DR), and mining were also explored. Both nations expressed a commitment to enhancing their strategic partnership and deepening ties.
India reaffirmed its dedication to working closely with Rwanda on bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the United Nations and other international organisations.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, highlighted the importance of the consultations as a platform for comprehensive discussions. Sharing updates on X (formerly Twitter), Jaiswal wrote, “The 2nd India-Rwanda FoC co-chaired by Mayank Singh, Jt. Secy(E&SA) & Virgile Rwanyagatare, DG(Asia, Pacific & Middle East Affairs) @RwandaMFA, were held today in New Delhi.”
“Both sides reviewed all facets of bilateral relations, including political, trade & investment, defence, energy, agriculture, health, education, digital platforms, human resource development & capacity building initiatives, cultural & youth exchanges and people-to-people contacts,” Jaiswal added.