Rwanda’s first embassy in South America: What is the significance?

Rwanda is set to open an embassy in Brazil which will be the country’s first embassy on the South American continent. The last decade has seen Rwanda expand its diplomatic missions not only within Africa but also in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Balkans. ALSO READ: Rwanda to open diplomatic mission in Jordan Before the current efforts to open an embassy in Brazil, South America stood out as the continent where Rwanda did not have an embassy. According to seasoned diplomat Olivier Nduhungirehe, having no embassy there was partly due to limited historical relations between Rwanda and South America. “The main reason we didn’t have an embassy is the lack of historical relations with South America. Many of our embassies have always been within the region, or in Europe because we were colonised by European countries. We have also had embassies in some big countries like China, USA, and Russia, but now, we are expanding our diplomatic network further,” he said. Being the fifth largest country in the world and boasting the second largest economy in the Americas, Brazil is looked at as a go-to place for countries that want to deepen their relations with South America. “Brazil has more and more relations with African countries especially under the current government. The country is also part of BRICS, which is becoming more and more important in international affairs,” Nduhungirehe noted. BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS countries operate as an organisation that seeks to further economic cooperation amongst member nations and increase their economic and political standing in the world. ALSO READ: Rwanda, Poland to establish Rwandan Diplomatic Academy In the past ten years, Rwanda has increased its embassies, reaching countries including Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria, as well as Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and more. “Rwandan diplomacy is expanding in all regions of the world because we understand that we are in a changing world. Relations cannot just depend on the traditional big powers like those in Western Europe, the USA, or China,” Nduhungirehe noted. Ismael Buchanan, a senior lecturer at the University of Rwanda and an international relations scholar, told The New Times that both countries have so many things to share in their bilateral relations, for example in terms of trade and tourism. Noting that Brazil is an upper-middle income economy, a feat that Rwanda wants to achieve within the coming years, there are things that Rwanda can learn from the South American country. He pointed out that Brazil is one of the world’s giants in the mining sector, has a great agriculture sector, and a strong and rapidly growing service sector. “Having our embassy in Brazil and theirs here is going to be an advantage for our business people in the domain of imports and exports. This can facilitate both people (Rwandans and Brazilians) to travel visa-free to both countries,” he noted. Rwanda currently has more than 46 diplomatic missions covering more than 147 countries and international organisations. In addition, there are more than 37 honorary consuls representing the country’s strategic interests in 17 countries. At a regional and international level, Rwanda is a member of 201 multilateral organisations.

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Rwanda’s first embassy in South America: What is the significance?