KIGALI - Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, has reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and extending them to countries having no historical relations with Rwanda.

The Minister made the remarks over the weekend at the Ugandan High Commission during a dinner organized in her honor by heads of the diplomatic missions in the country.

Mushikiwabo told the diplomats that the country would this year open two new embassies in Abuja, Nigeria and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in the spirit of promoting good relations between Rwanda and other countries.

"This expansion signals that we are at a time when we want to open up more embassies and bring as much benefits to Rwandans as possible from other countries,” she said.

She added that the country had now moved on to a second stage of its post Genocide period and that it is now growing diplomatically.

Mushikiwabo assured the diplomats that her office would always be open as part of efforts aimed at enhancing good relations, promoting peace, security and development with their countries.

The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps who is also Uganda’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Richard Kabonero, told reporters that the event was meant to interact with the minister as well as welcoming five new envoys to Rwanda.

The new envoys represent different countries which include; the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), France, Japan, Burundi and the European Union (EU).

On Uganda’s relations with Rwanda, Kabonero described the ties as excellent adding that both governments are committed to economically improve the lives of their citizens.

"We are for instance looking at opening two new border posts to ease movement of goods and services for our people,” the envoy said.

He identified the new places as Rwempasha on Rwanda’s side and Kizinga on the Ugandan side. The other new border will be located at Buziba on Rwanda’s side and Kamwezi on Uganda’s side.

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