Rwanda will this week host the 7th East African petroleum conference and exhibition, an opportunity the country will use to further promote the region’s potential and investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector, Innocent Safari, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, has said.

The meeting, slated for March 4-6 in Kigali, will bring together over 600 participants, representing international oil companies, oil industry service firms, government agencies, as well as petroleum policy experts, policy-makers, suppliers, consumers and the academia, Safari said.

He said the conference will be held under the theme, "East African region – proven destination for investment in petroleum resources for regional energy sufficiency and lasting social economic development”.

The meeting will discuss developments in the oil and gas industry in East Africa and beyond. "It will provide a forum for discussing the legal and policy framework and the overall petroleum business environment prevailing in the region, among other issues,” Safari said.

The conference, which is organised by the Natural Resources and East African Community Affairs ministries, will also feature an exhibition of the different petroleum products and services "so as to educate the public on regional integration initiatives.

Rwanda is looking to boost its oil re-exports to neighbouring countries as part of the efforts aimed at strengthening the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

The conference is therefore expected to provide an opportunity for Rwanda to tap into the expertise and knowhow from some of multinational oil companies.

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