BAKU, Sept. 20, 2025
Azerbaijan and Rwanda signed five cooperation documents in Baku on Saturday during an official visit by President Paul Kagame, as the two countries set out plans to expand ties across education, public services, energy, agriculture, tourism and investment.
The day began with a full honor-guard welcome for Kagame at the presidential complex, where national anthems were played and a ceremonial unit marched past the two heads of state. President Ilham Aliyev and President Kagame then held talks – first one-on-one and later in an extended format over a working lunch – focused on translating strong political goodwill into tangible economic and social projects.
At a ceremony attended by both leaders, the sides exchanged five instruments:
an Air Services Agreement between the governments;
an education cooperation agreement between Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Science and Education and Rwanda’s Ministry of Education;
a memorandum of understanding on agriculture between the two countries’ agriculture ministries;
a cooperation program to implement an MoU between Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (ASAN) and the Rwanda Development Board on creating a modern public service delivery mechanism;
an MoU on trade and investment promotion between Azerbaijan’s export and investment promotion agency and the Rwanda Development Board.
Aliyev said the visit would “create a very solid platform for partnership in the economic and trade areas,” noting that political relations are already strong thanks to close cooperation in multilateral fora. He highlighted education as a near-term priority and urged a sharp increase in Rwandan students studying in Azerbaijan.
“Before the visit I checked some information and learned that only one student from Rwanda is currently studying in Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said, adding that Baku is ready to work with Kigali to expand intake under Azerbaijan’s state scholarship programs.
Public-service reform emerged as another pillar. Citing Rwanda’s interest in Azerbaijan’s ASAN khidmat one-stop model for citizen services, Aliyev said Azerbaijani experts have already visited Kigali and stand ready to provide technical and financial assistance to adapt the system.
Kagame, who plans to tour an ASAN center during the visit, called the platform “impressive not only in appearance but in what it has achieved and delivered to the people,” and said Rwanda’s own service could “benefit greatly” from the model.
On economics, Aliyev said Azerbaijan is ready to participate in investment projects in Rwanda, and called for more regular contacts among relevant ministries and business delegations to scope opportunities in energy and mining, among other sectors. The leaders also discussed tourism, agriculture, student exchanges, and broadening the bilateral legal base.
Kagame praised Azerbaijan’s domestic progress and peace diplomacy, referring to the peace agreement announced in the United States: “You continue a peace process that will be strengthened… You are ahead of us in achieving certain goals, and I wanted to congratulate you.” He added: “Mr. President, know that you have friends in Africa, in Rwanda. We want to use this opportunity of cooperation and friendship… to move quickly toward the prosperity of our countries.”
Aliyev, for his part, recalled recent high-level contacts – including last year’s visit to Rwanda by a delegation from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation during COP29 in Baku – and thanked Kagame for Rwanda’s consistent support in international organizations. He said matching “excellent political relations” with broader sectoral cooperation is now the shared objective.
The visit concludes with technical-level follow-up on the newly signed agreements, including workstreams on aviation links, education exchanges, agricultural collaboration and the roadmap for piloting an ASAN-style service in Rwanda.
