Mexico on Friday officially launched an honorary consulate in Rwanda.

The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1976 and Rwanda maintains presence in Mexico through its ambassador to the United States of America, whereas Mexico named an ambassador to Rwanda for the first time in 2007 with residence in Nairobi.

The consulate will be supported by the Mexican embassy in Nairobi.

Aimable Rumongi, Mexico’s Honorary Consul to Rwanda (left) gives a gift to Francisco Ernesto Romero, the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in Kenya (that oversees Rwanda) during the official launch of Mexico Consulate in Rwanda on April 26, 2019. Crash Bahizi.

According to Francisco Ernesto Romero, the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in Kenya, Mexican honorary consulates support embassies in regions which are far from their constituency.

The consul to Rwanda will foster travel and business, facilitate conversations and connections that will ultimately deepen the friendship and relationship between the people of Mexico and the people of Rwanda, officials said.

Romero said that Mexico has developed a responsible and interactive foreign policy for the improvement of the living conditions of Mexicans abroad and respect of their rights,

"To provide documentation services, to protect them (Mexicans), as well as assist foreigners who need to perform procedures, Mexico has 80 embassies, 67 consulates, and more than a hundred honorary consulates around the world,” he said.

In a speech, Aimable Rumongi, Mexico’s Honorary Consul to Rwanda, said that Rwanda and Mexico may seem as worlds apart but in this era there is no such thing as worlds apart thanks to technology.

Giving an example of President Paul Kagame and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim who co-chair the United Nations Broadband Commission for Digital Development, Rumongi said that Rwandans and Mexicans can exchange ideas using technology in areas like agriculture, transport, and health, transport.

"Through the Mexican consulate, supported by the Mexican embassy in Nairobi, we seek to facilitate these exchanges and connections, assist citizens with travel and business, ultimately deepening the friendly relationship between the people of Mexico and the people of Rwanda,” he said.

A Cabinet Meeting held on May 14, 2014 approved the nomination of Rumongi as Mexico’s honorary Consul to Rwanda, with residence in Kigali.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com