Rwanda and the Republic of Sudan on Tuesday signed a five-year bilateral cooperation agreement.

It was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Louise Mushikiwabo with her Sudanese counterpart, Ali Ahmed Karti, in Kigali.

At the same ceremony, an air service agreement meant to expand air transport services between Kigali and Khartoum was signed.

Mushikiwabo said the signed agreements would strengthen the "commendable existing cooperation”.

"It is the way to open up other areas of cooperation,” she said.

Rwanda maintains more than 3,200 peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur region, and Minister Mushikiwabo thanked Sudan "for being a good host for Rwanda peacekeeping forces”.

On his part, Ali Ahmed Karti said the agreements were an opportunity for trade and transport between the peoples of the two countries to flourish.

Meanwhile, the Republic of Sudan later on Tuesday officially opened its embassy in Kigali in a ceremony that attracted members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Rwanda and senior officials from both countries.