The Honorary Consulate General of India to Rwanda, Vinod Tharamal, has said that trade relations between India and Rwanda are growing at a faster pace saying that it registered growth of 59 percent last year.

Tharamal said this yesterday during his speech at the commemoration of the 60th India Republic Day which was held at SULFO factory in Nyarugenge, a function that was attended by most of the Indian business community in Kigali.

"I take this opportunity to inform you that trade relations between India and Rwanda are growing at a fast pace. Direct imports at Freight On Board (FOB) values from India to Rwanda in 2008 amounted to Rwf18.5 bn compared to Rwf11.6 bn the previous year,” Tharamal underscored.

The Honorary Consul General also said that the volume of exports to India jumped from Rfw254m in 2007 to Rwf3.97bn in 2008 and he attributed this to the thriving mineral sector in Rwanda.

According to Tharamal, the relationship between the two countries is growing very fast especially in education, ICT and in Medicine.

India is involved in projects like the Nyabarongo Hydro Power project, Tele-Medicine facilities that have been availed to King Faysal Hospital and Tele-Education facilities at Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) among others.

In an interview with The New Times, Tharamal noted that the recent visit by President Paul Kagame to India this month had immensely boosted the two countries’ relations.

He added that while attending the India Africa Business Partnership Summit in New Delhi, President Kagame told the gathering that East Africa was working on eliminating non-tariff barriers and modernizing infrastructure, and integrating its capital markets to reduce the costs of doing business in its markets.

The Honorary Consul General also thanked the President and his entire cabinet for their assistance to the Indian consulate and the entire Indian business community in Rwanda in their daily activities.

Ends