In 2021, Pakistan opened for the first time posted an ambassador to Rwanda with residence in Kigali, as both countries sought to scale up bilateral ties which span over 60 years.

Almost three years down the road, a lot has happened between the two countries and peoples.

The New Times’ Edwin Ashimwe had an exclusive interview with Naeem Ullah Khan, the Pakistan High Commissioner-designate to Rwanda, to get a sense of the direction the two countries’ relationship is taking and the latest developments in the Rwanda-Pakistan ties.

Below are the excerpts

Briefly, take me through your experience in the first week when you arrived in Rwanda?

Let me state that I previously served as Director General Africa in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Therefore, I was covering the whole continent (of Africa). During that period, I read a lot about Rwanda and the growth trajectory the country was on.

I had heard that it's a very safe country, very clean country, people are very organized, they are hardworking, it is a green country, many plantations, many tourism opportunities, which is the exact impression I got when I landed in Kigali.

Everything is clean and organized, especially the plantation because I am an environmentalist. I am an expert on natural resources as well. When I see the developments in the environment space here, the trees, the birds, the plants, and the cleanliness on the streets, it is highly impressive, and I am happy to be here.

How do you think the existence of this High Commission has improved relations between Rwanda and Pakistan?

We have had our resident mission here in Kigali, for the last two years now, while Rwanda is covering Pakistan from Beijing, China.

There has been tangible improvement in our relations from the time we opened our resident mission here.

For example, Rwanda is exporting tea, coffee as well as various other materials to Pakistan, while we are exporting textiles, surgical instruments, rice and other electric appliances to Rwanda.

Some of the Pakistanis working here are doing wonderful in logistics and timber and furniture, among other businesses

Recently, we had three to four trade delegations that were organized by the embassy. Such things would not be possible without having a resident mission here.

We are in touch with the Pakistani community. And we are in touch with the Rwandan exporters and Rwandan importers as well. They come here, they sit with us, and physically we have interaction.

What else has been done for the past two years?

We arranged four trade delegations from Rwanda to Pakistan. Rwanda is increasingly becoming very popular in Pakistan, especially because of tea and because of Rwanda's progress over the last few years or decades.

Rwanda is becoming an example, a model for Pakistan, for national integration, for economic development, and for prosperity, which is gradually coming to this nation.

Going forward, we want to improve our commercial relations and also we will be offering some scholarships to Rwandans so they may be facilitated to go to Pakistan for training in diplomacy, engineering, and medical sciences. Because Pakistan is a country of 240 million people, it is a huge market. It is the fifth most populous country in the world.

And Pakistan has a competitive advantage because of the prices and the quality of the products.

Talking of trade, what is the level of business exchanges between Rwanda and Pakistan?

Actually, the average figure is $34 million in bilateral trade, and the balance is more on the side of Rwanda because Rwanda is exporting to Pakistan more than Pakistan is exporting to Rwanda.

We import almost 70 per cent of Rwandan tea. This because Pakistan is a tea-taking nation.

Sometimes it goes to Pakistan through other (countries) but we are now working on a program that would see Rwandan tea transported directly go to Pakistan, instead of going through other ports or other countries, there should be a connection between Rwandan exporters and Pakistani importers.

We are establishing direct linkages between the two countries. Our main exports are textiles, rice, surgical instruments, sports goods, and some electric, electronics and other appliances.

Also, we are working on more IT-related products, information technology, and computer software programmes. Pakistan is excellent in information technology.

Also, one of the important sectors that we are working on is pharmaceuticals and medical sciences. Pakistan has excellent products in pharmacies and medicines.

Do you intend to facilitate them directly, and how ?

That is our main purpose; if a Rwandan businessperson goes to Pakistan through other channels, why not directly?

The purpose of the diplomatic mission is to create the connection, communication, as well as bridging, and covering the distances, through having a common place where both Rwandans and Pakistanis can connect.

Let's talk about Pakistani businesses. What are they mostly keen on investing in here?

The opportunities are vast. For example, one of the Pakistani firms is interested is opening a kind of free economic zone, an industrial zone, where they intend to buy a piece of land with the help of the Rwandan government.

We are already talking about it. They want to come and establish an industrial zone, where Pakistanis and other businesspersons from other countries can come together.

We have one of the world's deepest ports, Gwadar, while Karachi is a big city. You can imagine that Karachi is like more than 20 million population, only one city.

Pakistanis are also looking to Rwanda as a central point from where they can launch their business in the wider region.

Pakistanis are interested in investment in the industrial zone. They are already investing a lot in textiles, furniture, and surgical instruments.

And, some of the hospitals here in Kigali are using Pakistani surgical instruments for operations, and surgery because Pakistan is one of the top producers of surgical instruments for operations.