President Paul Kagame has underscored a development philosophy centered on shared goals, practical cooperation, and results-driven governance as Rwanda and Botswana signed new agreements on trade, investment, and institutional collaboration.
The agreements were signed in Gaborone on Wednesday during President Paul Kagame’s official working visit to Botswana and were witnessed by President Kagame and his host, President Duma Gideon Boko.
The deals include a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement; a Memorandum of Agreement on Visa Abolition for holders of diplomatic, official and national passports; a Bilateral Air Services Agreement; a Memorandum of Understanding on health cooperation; an MoU on economic, trade and investment cooperation; and an institutional agreement between the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC).
The agreements are intended to ease movement between the two countries, facilitate cross-border investment, improve air connectivity, and strengthen cooperation between key economic institutions.
The signing was witnessed by President Kagame and Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko at the start of the Rwandan leader’s working visit.
Kagame said the foundation of Rwanda–Botswana relations goes beyond friendship, emphasizing alignment in purpose and development ambition.
“What the relationship between Rwanda and Botswana is based on is not just friendship, but also shared goals,” Kagame said.
He said both countries are focused on removing structural barriers to economic cooperation, including improving air connectivity, easing visa regimes, and addressing double taxation to encourage investment flows.
Kagame highlighted Botswana’s approach to managing its natural resources, particularly diamonds, as an example of development discipline aimed at converting national wealth into tangible public benefit.
He also pointed to Botswana’s investments in health security and local production capacity as part of a broader effort toward self-reliance, noting that such choices reflect deliberate leadership aimed at long-term national resilience.
“The way you manage your natural resources, especially diamonds, shows a commitment to preserving their value and turning them into tangible benefits for your citizens,” Kagame said.
Throughout his remarks, Kagame framed the visit within a broader philosophy of African development anchored in capability-building, institutional strength, and economic transformation rather than dependency.
He said cooperation between Rwanda and Botswana in justice and security has already shown steady progress, and that attention is now shifting toward economic transformation and private sector-led growth.
“The activities taking place in this visit, especially discussions between our private sectors, show concrete and immediate opportunities,” Kagame said. “What matters most is that what we agree on here should bring visible change in the lives of our citizens.”
He also praised Botswana for successfully hosting the World Athletics Relays.
Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko said the visit reflects strengthening ties between the two countries and a shared commitment to cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, and regional development.
He said Botswana is eager to learn from Rwanda’s experience in governance and development while also contributing its own lessons in areas such as education, health, agriculture, and food security.
“Both countries are racing against time,” Boko said. “Let us ensure that time does not leave us behind and undermine what we have committed to.”
He added that cooperation should be practical and time-sensitive, stressing that distance between the two countries should not be a barrier given advances in technology.
The two leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in technology-driven trade, tourism, livestock vaccination, transport systems, and value addition in the diamond sector, as part of broader efforts to strengthen economic integration and development outcomes.
