The government has signed a five-year general agreement on bilateral cooperation with India. This was disclosed by the Indian Honorary Consul General to Rwanda, Vinod Tharamal, during celebrations to mark India’s 60th Independence Anniversary at Petit Stadium on Saturday.The memorandum of understanding envisages close cooperation in the fields of education, human resource development, science and technology, private sector participation and environmental protection.“I am glad to inform you that the cultural exchanges between India and Rwanda are witnessing a faster growth,” Tharamal said. Last year, Education minister Dr Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya led Rwanda’s delegation that visited New Delhi where they signed an agreement to send Rwandan students to India for advanced education. India’s trade with African countries increased significantly from US$5.5 billion in 2001-2002 to 18.5 billion by January 2007. Tharamal said that India is also building a Pan-African E-Network to bridge the digital divide among the 53 countries on the African continent.Ends