The relations between Rwanda and Azerbaijan received a fresh impetus with the visit of President of Rwanada, Paul Kagame, to Baku, Azerbaijan. Relations between Azerbaijan and Rwanda are mainly developed within the framework of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Rwanda also supported the chairmanship period of Azerbaijan’s Non-Aligned Movement and its initiative as especially the efforts related to COVID-19.
On September 20, 2025, Paul Kigame met the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. During the meeting, Ilham Aliyev highlighted that relations between the two countries have become more action-oriented in last few years. He noted the visit of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s delegation to Rwanda in 2024, led by Vice President Leyla Aliyeva, who was deeply impressed by the country’s progress and strong sense of independence. He welcomed the Foundation’s support for educational programs in Rwanda and emphasized education as a key priority for future cooperation, highlighting the need to increase the number of Rwandan students studying in Azerbaijan under the state scholarship program. He also mentioned recent visits by delegations from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASAN Service Agency to Rwanda to explore collaboration and the possibility of establishing a similar public service mode. Rwanda President Paul Kagame remarked that Azerbaijan should know that it has “friends in Africa, in in Rwanda, and we want to use this opportunity of cooperation and friendship between you and me and our two countries to move forward quickly in our achievements of prosperity.” In January 2025, Baku and Kigali held their first round of political consultations, signing a memorandum of understanding and agreeing to ease visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
A significant outcome of Paul Kagame’s visit was the signing of five cooperation agreements between Rwanda and Azerbaijan. The agreements were in the field of agriculture, education, air services, trade and public service delivery. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation James Kabarebe exchanged the “Air Services Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda,” the “Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Education between the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Rwanda,” and the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda.” Azerbaijan’s Ambassador accredited to Rwanda Ruslan Nasibov and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board Juliana Kangeli Muganza exchanged the “Cooperation Programme for the Implementation of the “Memorandum of Understanding between the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Rwanda Development Board on Cooperation in Establishing Advanced Public Service Delivery Mechanism”” and the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Rwanda Development Board on Behalf of the Government of the Republic of Rwanda.”
Azerbaijan and Rwanda have significantly their trade relations. At present, trade relations between the two countries remain limited, with bilateral trade totalling around $2 million in 2024. However, the agreements signed in Baku and the establishment of joint working groups are anticipated to substantially boost this volume. Promising areas of expansion include Azerbaijani exports of petrochemical products and fertilizers, alongside imports of Rwandan coffee, tea, and minerals. Additionally, Azerbaijani construction firms are well-positioned to contribute to Rwanda’s infrastructure development.
The growing partnership between the two is beneficial to both Azerbaijan and Rwanda. While Rwanda provides a gateway for Azerbaijan to access Africa’s emerging markets and investment opportunities, Rwanda stands to gain from Azerbaijani expertise, technology, and infrastructure support.
