President Denis Sassou N’Guesso of the Republic of Congo is expected in Rwanda on Monday, 21 November, for a three-day state visit, according to a statement from the Office of the President.

During his visit, N’Guesso is scheduled to hold talks with his counterpart, President Paul Kagame and host him to a state banquet on Tuesday.

He is also expected to tour socio-economic sites in Kigali and the surrounding areas. The two heads of state will hold a joint press conference on Wednesday at Urugwiro Village.

According to the statement, Rwanda and Congo enjoy good relations, which were cemented by the state visit by President Kagame to Brazzaville last November, during which he affirmed;

"We in Rwanda want to see our two countries, and indeed the whole of Africa, develop, grow and prosper. I believe that sustained cooperation between Rwanda and Congo is crucial in order to succeed in that noble mission,” the Head of State is quoted as having said then.

The growing relationship between the central African country and Rwanda has been further facilitated by the recent launch of a twice-weekly flight from Kigali to Brazzaville by the national carrier, Rwandair.

 The upcoming state visit will be preceded by a meeting of the Rwanda-Congo Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), to be held on 21-22 November with consultations by senior officials on both sides.

This will be followed by a ministerial meeting chaired by the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

Some of the areas of focus by JPC will include upgrading the General Cooperation Agreement already re-negotiated last year, and MoUs in multiple sectors with special emphasis on trade, agriculture, natural resources and human settlement. 

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