The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Aly Abdel Aal, has said that he was impressed by Rwanda’s efforts against corruption.

He was speaking Tuesday after holding talks, with Donathile Mukabalisa, Rwanda’s Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and particularly between both countries’ parliaments.

Ali Abdel Aal, who is in Rwanda for a four-day visit, also paid a courtesy call to the President of the Senate, Bernard Makuza, who invited his guest to participate in next year’s General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

"We have discussed bilateral relations between Egypt and Rwanda and, particularly, between the parliament of Egypt and the parliament of Rwanda. After discussions, what has impressed me is the development of the country and the progress in terms of the fight against corruption and good governance in Rwanda,” Aal said.

According to the 2018 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, Rwanda improved by one point to score 56 out of 100, making it one of the five least corrupt countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"Fighting against corruption is a distinguished experience, it is an experience of respect which should be replicated. We have agreed to set up groups representing our parliaments so that we share the experiences,” he said.

The Transparency International index ranked Rwanda the fourth least corrupt country in Africa behind Seychelles which scored 66, Botswana (61), and Cabo Verde (57) and Namibia at the fifth tank.

In East Africa, Rwanda was found to be the least corrupt country while, globally, it ranked 48th

Mukabalisa said that the parliaments of both countries will continue to learn from each other’s experience on different matters.

"We have shared a lot about the history of Rwanda, how far we have come, and the country’s vision …in order to continue strengthening cooperation, we have agreed to form a team that will help to learn from each other’s experience and practices in terms of parliamentary diplomacy,” she said.

In 2017, Presidents Paul Kagame and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt committed to bolstering economic ties between the two countries for the mutual benefit of their citizens.

They said the governments would strive to promote trade exchange, joint investments as well as creating linkages between the private sectors of both countries, especially in the areas of communication, tourism, agriculture, and energy.

This year, Egypt’s national carrier EgyptAir launched two weekly flights connecting Kigali and Cairo.

In addition, Egyptians do not require a visa to enter Rwanda.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com