Tanzania and Rwanda have made new commitments to boost their bilateral relationship, focusing on air travel, railway development, and the promotion of Kiswahili.
These agreements were signed by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and Tanzanian Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, during the 16th Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) held in Kigali.
Both ministers emphasized the importance of the JPC in enhancing diplomatic dialogue and economic collaboration.
A new liaison office in Kigali is also being planned to help streamline port services for Rwandan businesses that import and export goods.
Nduhungirehe praised Tanzania’s role in supporting Rwanda’s economy, particularly through improved services at the Dar es Salaam port, which currently handles over 70% of Rwanda’s international trade, according to Xinhua.
Kombo, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, pointed out that Rwanda ranks among Tanzania’s top air travel partners, alongside Kenya.
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He noted that RwandAir operates daily flights between the two countries and described the frequency of travel as very encouraging.
Kombo highlighted the importance of this air connectivity in boosting the two countries’ relations.
In praising RwandAir’s performance and reliability, Kombo shared that 90 percent of the Tanzanian delegation, including himself, traveled to Kigali via RwandAir.
He also expressed optimism about Air Tanzania resuming flights to Kigali, a route it previously suspended.
According to him, Air Tanzania is also preparing to launch cargo services to Rwanda, using its large cargo aircraft to meet the country’s freight transport needs.
Beyond air transport, Kombo said both governments are also committed to major infrastructure development, including the proposed standard gauge railway (SGR) that would link Tanzania and Rwanda.
He explained that feasibility studies and route planning are already underway in Tanzania at the ministerial level to enhance cross-border movement of goods.
Kombo also commended Rwanda for recognizing Kiswahili as one of its four official languages, alongside English, French, and Kinyarwanda, calling it a significant move.
He noted that Tanzania, as host of the Kiswahili headquarters for the East African Community, SADC, the African Union, and UNESCO, has a greater responsibility to support Kiswahili promotion.
He pledged Tanzania’s readiness to assist Rwanda with Kiswahili books and teachers to strengthen language education in the country.
Quoting UNESCO, Kombo said more than 200 million people now speak Kiswahili across Africa, making it the most widely spoken language in East and Central Africa.
He also pointed out that both countries had agreed to deepen cooperation across several key areas such as political and diplomatic consultations, defense, security, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, ICT, energy, and health.
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