China and Rwanda on Tuesday signed an agreement on economic and technical cooperation, which will see the Chinese government grant Kigali USD 42 million for projects to be agreed upon by the two sides.
The agreement was penned by the Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei and Claudine Uwera, Minister of State in charge of Economic Planning in Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
The grant is expected to partly address the funding demand of a China-aided 10-kilometer road project in Kigali, linking the city center, Masaka area and the eastern part of the country.
According to Ambassador Rao, the project will play a key role in Kigali’s economic development, reducing commuting time, operating expenses and accidents, promoting Kigali’s business ecosystem and providing new momentum for developing the inland container depot and logistics hub in Masaka.
The envoy also noted his country’s readiness to boost cooperation with the East African country on various issues.
“As a sincere friend and reliable partner of Rwanda, China is willing to enhance practical economic cooperation through strengthening communication and coordination,” he said, noting that China will continue to provide assistance in infrastructure construction, industrialization and agricultural modernization to improve the economic and social development of Rwanda.
Relations between China and Rwanda have blossomed through the years, evident by the Chinese government’s active role in Rwanda’s infrastructural development.
“The government of Rwanda appreciates the support from the government of China, and looks forward to strengthening the cooperation between the two countries,” Uwera said.
