Rwanda and the Kingdom of Eswatini on Tuesday, August 13, signed four agreements in areas of defence and security operations, police cooperation, correctional services, and visa exemption on diplomatic and service passports, as both countries moved to strengthen bilateral ties.

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The signing of the Memoranda of Understanding was presided over by President Paul Kagame and King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini. The latter attended the Presidential inauguration on Sunday, August 11, and was still in Rwanda to pay official visits to different areas in the country.

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Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame on Tuesday welcomed King Mswati III and Inkhosikati Make LaMashwama at Village Urugwiro, as they continued their three-day official visit to Rwanda.

Kagame thanked King Mswati III for his presence, noting that his visit is a testament to the bilateral relations between both countries and that the signed agreements would strengthen the cooperation further.

"In Rwanda, we are very eager to share with partners and friends such as Eswatini our experience in the transformation journey of our country, that is why we established the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative,” Kagame said.

Across a range of sectors including defence and security, ICT, education, agriculture, tourism, and trade, Kagame noted that Rwanda and Eswatini have a lot to offer each other and "just need to focus on implementation because it is what creates tangible results on the ground.”

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King Mswati III congratulated Kagame on his successful inauguration as President and commended Rwanda’s socioeconomic development over the past years which demonstrates the leadership’s commitment to improve the lives of Rwandans.

"During these years, the country has not only shared its formula of success to fellow countries but also contributed to peace and security through participation in peacekeeping missions.”

He said that both countries have enjoyed good relations for many years and will continue to support and cooperate in many areas of mutual interest such as peace and security, health, development, climate change, and food security, among others.

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In 2022, Rwanda and Eswatini signed a general cooperation agreement that established a joint permanent commission.

King Mswati III said the signed cooperation agreements will allow the two countries to enhance hands-on skills, international exchange of technical expertise, and benchmarking exercises to learn more about human capital development.

On August 12, King Mswati III visited Irembo, an e-government services portal, and was also scheduled to visit Kigali Special Economic Zone.

"Going forward, let us enhance our bilateral relations and cooperation in different areas such as agriculture, and technology where we could learn a lot, and our countries are renowned as tourism destinations which is potential for collaboration,” King Mswati III said, adding that the private sector in both countries should take advantage of available investment opportunities.

King Mswati III extended an invitation to Kagame to visit his kingdom.