ISLAMABAD: Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Harerimana Fatou, has said that a 15- to 18-member Pakistani delegation will participate in the Rwanda-Pakistan Investment Forum in Kigali, with both countries seeking to substantially expand bilateral trade and investment.


Speaking at a press conference at the Rwandan High Commission in Islamabad alongside former Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hamid Asghar Khan, the envoy said Rwanda and Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1962, while Rwanda established its High Commission in Islamabad in April 2025.


She said bilateral trade had increased from 10 per cent to 50 per cent over the past two years, adding that Rwanda and Pakistan were committed to increasing it further to 200 per cent.


The High Commissioner said Rwanda supplies around 45 per cent of the tea consumed in Pakistan. Since Rwanda is a landlocked country, the tea is exported to Pakistan through Nairobi, Kenya.


She added that Rwanda was also a major buyer of Pakistani rice, describing the upcoming Rwanda-Pakistan Investment Forum as an important beginning for strengthening economic relations between the two countries.


“We want technology transfer and stronger trade relations between Rwanda and Pakistan,” she said, adding that a bilateral trade agreement would have a positive impact on business, trade and investment.


Speaking on the occasion, Patron-in-Chief of the Rwanda-Pakistan Economic Council Hamid Asghar Khan said Africa, particularly Rwanda, was emerging as a new destination for investment amid what he described as growing anti-Islam sentiments in the West and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.


He said Rwanda offered suitable and affordable land, relatively low-cost skilled labour, competitive energy and electricity rates, peace and stability, and attractive government incentives and facilities, which were encouraging foreign investors to explore investment opportunities in the country.


The event also featured the presentation of honours and gifts to guests.