KIGALI — Rwanda and Pakistan are set to deepen economic ties next week with the signing of a bilateral trade agreement during the Rwanda-Pakistan Investment Forum in Kigali from September 23 to 25.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Harerimana Fatou, announced the forum and the planned agreement at a press conference held Friday at the Rwanda High Commission in Islamabad. A Pakistani business delegation of about 15 to 16 representatives will travel to Kigali to meet Rwandan government officials, investors, and private-sector leaders.
Fatou positioned Rwanda as more than a domestic market of roughly 14 million people. She described the country as a gateway for Pakistani firms seeking access to the wider African market through production,
joint ventures, and regional expansion. She specifically invited companies in textiles, construction, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurship to explore opportunities.
“The Investment Forum represents a broader effort to transform Rwanda-Pakistan relations into a stronger partnership in trade, investment,
technology, manufacturing and business-to-business cooperation,” Fatou said. The trade agreement is expected to provide a stronger institutional framework for commercial relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Africa Economic Council, said the forum would open new avenues for investment.
He identified pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food processing, information technology, and manufacturing as promising areas, citing Rwanda’s sustained economic growth.
Diplomatic relations between Rwanda and Pakistan date to 1962. Officials noted that business engagement has grown by more than 55 percent in recent years. Rwanda has highlighted its investor-friendly environment, including one-stop services through the Rwanda Development Board, visa-on-arrival policies, and tax incentives.
The forum comes as both sides seek to convert longstanding political ties into practical commercial partnerships. Pakistani officials have previously expressed interest in expanding direct trade in products such as rice,
pharmaceuticals, textiles, and sports goods, while Rwanda has promoted its tea and coffee exports. The upcoming meetings in Kigali are expected to focus on turning these discussions into concrete deals and joint ventures.
