Ghana opens its consulate in Kigali today, ending the burden of travelling to Nairobi, Kenya, to obtain Ghanaian visa. The consulate, which will be headed by Honorary Consul of Ghana in Rwanda Dennis Karera is expected to improve on the bilateral relationships between the two countries, according Kingsley Karimu, the Ghanaian ambassador to East Africa. The development comes weeks after national carrier RwandAir launched direct flights to Accra. Amb. Karimu said the consulate will not only enhance the political relationship between the two countries, but also help translate it into physical presence. Boosting economy "The need to work together as African countries is paramount if we are to achieve a sustainable economic growth. There is a lot we can learn from each other. I am sure many Ghanaians can come here not only to trade and tour but also learn the kind of discipline Rwanda has demonstrated,” Amb. Karimu said. Karera, the new honorary consul, said with consulate, the cost of acquiring Ghanaian visa (travel documents) has been reduced. "Our people had to first fly to Nairobi for visa which was not only costly but time consuming. Now that the consulate is here, all will be done from here. Also our Ghanaian friends living in Rwanda are saved the burden of going to Nairobi to have their visas renewed. This is good business that our people must exploit,” Karera said.   He added that Accra is considering expanding the consulate into a fully operation embassy in the near future.Currently there are 64 Ghanaians living in Rwanda and this number could rise with the opening of the consulate.