Kigali (GNP): Rwanda and Pakistan signed a Trade Cooperation Agreement on Thursday, aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment, promoting local production and strengthening business-to-business linkages between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Antoine Kajangwe, and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Naeem Khan, at the Rwanda-Pakistan Investment Forum 2026 in Kigali.
The three-day forum, running from 23 to 25 September, has brought together government representatives, investors, business leaders, manufacturers and entrepreneurs from both countries, with the signing representing a major outcome of the gathering.
The agreement is focused on translating the longstanding Rwanda-Pakistan relationship into greater economic cooperation through trade, investment, joint ventures, manufacturing, technology transfer and business-to-business engagement.
The forum was attended by prominent members of the Pakistani delegation, including Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Africa Economic Council, Misbah Khar, Advisor to the Chairman Senate and Ambassador of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, and Dr Rubina Malik, Focal Person for the Prime Minister Youth Programme, alongside Pakistani business leaders and private-sector representatives.
Under the agreement, Rwanda and Pakistan will strengthen cooperation in trade facilitation, exchange information on trade and investment opportunities, and build linkages between private-sector organisations, including Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation and Pakistan’s chambers of commerce.
The agreement also covers cooperation in manufacturing and technology, with Rwanda seeking greater Pakistani investment in agro-processing, textiles and pharmaceuticals.
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Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry said the agreement would strengthen cooperation in trade and investment by encouraging production in both countries and expanding trade in locally produced goods, highlighting the potential to move beyond conventional trade towards production partnerships, value addition and job creation.
Rwanda Development Board Deputy CEO Juliana Muganza said the agreement comes as both countries seek to translate longstanding diplomatic relations into stronger commercial ties, noting that bilateral trade reached 236.4 million US dollars between 2023 and 2025, while Rwanda recorded seven Pakistani investment projects worth more than two million US dollars during the same period.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Naeem Khan, highlighted the complementary strengths of the two economies, identifying opportunities for increased Pakistani imports of Rwandan products including tea, coffee, avocado, beans, lentils and pulses, alongside openings for Pakistani companies in agricultural machinery, construction, hospitality, healthcare and education.
The forum has provided a platform for Pakistani businesses to explore Rwanda not only as a market but also as a base for production, joint ventures and expansion into wider African markets, with the Rwanda Development Board highlighting its investor facilitation services, including business registration, licensing, access to incentives and industrial infrastructure.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
