Botswanan President Duma Boko (R) shakes hands with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Gaborone, Botswana, May 6, 2026. Botswana and Rwanda have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening relations, following the signing of six bilateral agreements on Wednesday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.(Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
GABORONE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Botswana and Rwanda have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening relations, following the signing of six bilateral agreements on Wednesday in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame started a two-day state visit to Botswana earlier Wednesday. Botswanan President Duma Boko described the visit as a strategic realignment aimed at turning shared vision into concrete action within strict timelines.
The agreements cover double taxation avoidance, visa abolition, health, and economic trade and investment.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Wednesday, Boko praised the "enduring fraternal and cordial relations" between the two nations and called for urgent action to implement the agreements.
"We are in a race against time," he said.
Boko listed education, health, agriculture, youth empowerment, sports, employment, infrastructure, and regional connectivity as priority areas for cooperation.
Kagame praised the bilateral relationship as a partnership grounded in shared purpose, pointing to improved air connectivity, visa facilitation, and double taxation avoidance agreements as measures to remove barriers to investment.
He commended Botswana's prudent management of natural resources, particularly diamonds, for the benefit of its people.
Kagame praised Botswana's investments in pharmaceutical capacity and health-security resilience as contributions to continental self-reliance.
He noted that cooperation is expanding beyond justice and security into trade, with active business community engagements during the visit signaling real opportunities.
"What we agree here must translate into tangible improvements in the lives of our citizens," Kagame said. ■