Rwanda and Serbia have agreed to a deal that will see Rwanda importing wheat and maize from Serbia while exporting coffee and tea to the Balkan country. This agreement is aimed at strengthening the economic cooperation and bilateral ties between the two countries. ALSO READ: Rwanda looks elsewhere for wheat imports amid Russia-Ukraine crisis Serbia is one of the world's leading exporters of cereals such as wheat and maize, and produces up to 8.1 million tonnes of maize per year, making it the seventh-largest maize exporter in the world. Meanwhile, Rwanda has a thriving coffee and tea sector that is poised to benefit from the deal. The announcement was made by Tomislav Momirović, the Minister of Internal and External Trade of the Republic of Serbia, during his three-day visit to Rwanda. During his visit, Momirović met with Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente alongside other government officials to discuss ways to advance the existing relations between the two countries. ALSO READ: How high prices buoyed Rwanda coffee exports The Minister of State in Charge of East African Community at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Manasseh Nshuti, said that Serbia is a major producer of wheat and maize, and that Rwanda can trade with it in those commodities among others “For instance, for wheat and maize, they have enough for domestic consumption, we can buy at affordable rates... So, we agreed that we can purchase wheat and maize from there and Rwandans who want them can get them at reasonable costs,” he said, pointing out that this would benefit Rwandans. ALSO READ: How sanctions imposed on Russia could affect Rwanda The deal comes at a time when Rwanda is seeking alternative sources of wheat imports due to the disruption of the global market caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Before the war, Rwanda imported 64% of its wheat from Russia. Aside from the trade deal, the two countries are looking to expand cooperation in other areas such as technology, with Rwanda considering sending students to Serbia to acquire skills in advanced areas of technology.
