Three bilateral agreements were on Monday afternoon inked between Rwanda and Guinea Bissau in a ceremony that was hosted at the office of the President, Village Urugwiro.

The signing was held between the countries’ Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Biruta and his counterpart Suzi Carla Barbosa and witnessed by President Paul Kagame and his visiting counterpart Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

The three agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on economic and trade cooperation, another one on cooperation in the field of education while the third is in the area of cooperation in tourism, business and conservation.

Details of the agreements were not available by press time.

Prior to the signing ceremony however, the two heads of state met for a tete-a-tete before holding bilateral talks that were attended by both delegations.

Joining forces

Speaking at the ceremony, President Kagame welcomed the visiting President to Rwanda, and reiterated that both countries have ‘many opportunities’ to benefit from the other.

Among them, Kagame highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which also provides opportunities to engage with another constructively.

"At the same time, threats are transnational and equally affect us all together,” he added, "Joining forces and learning from another can only make us much stronger.”

On the part of Guinea-Bissau, President Embalo noted that the agreements signed open the doors of mutual benefits for peoples of both countries.

He maintained that while his government had done a ‘good job’ with tourism and trade, there were still hurdles in education.

"I do believe that there is a lot to mutually benefit within our countries.”

Visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial

To conclude his first day of the visit, President Embalo paid homage to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi.

Kigali Genocide Memorial is a final resting place to over 250,000 victims.

"I bow before the memory of the martyrs, and pay homage to all those who had the courage and the strength to fight for the rebirth from the ashes of the genocide of the Tutsis, a united and prosperous Rwanda," President Embalo wrote in the guest book at the memorial.

President Embalo and his delegation will be in the country for three days.