Rwandan and Egyptian citizens will now be able to travel between the two countries without visas, following the signing of a historic Visa Waiver Agreement on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, signed the agreement with the Arab Republic of Egypt, marking a major step toward easing mobility, strengthening trade ties and deepening people-to-people connections.
At the same ceremony, Minister Nduhungirehe also concluded a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He highlighted Rwanda’s vision of an interconnected world that fosters opportunity and shared prosperity, noting that both agreements will open doors for greater economic and cultural exchange.
Rwanda also used its time at UNGA80 to showcase its growing reputation as a hub for digital innovation. The country’s ICT delegation joined Oracle and the Institute for Global Change for a high-level roundtable focused on how data, artificial intelligence (AI) and progressive policy can drive sustainable development.
Hon. Yves Iradukunda, Minister of State in charge of Digital Transformation, and Tony Sebera, CEO of the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), presented Rwanda’s ambitious vision for digital transformation and highlighted its ongoing collaboration with Oracle.
During the discussion, Rwanda and Oracle announced a new partnership on Data Intelligence for Agriculture—a platform that integrates data from satellites to soil sensors to forecast crop yields, detect agricultural risks and support timely, evidence-based decisions for resilient food systems.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire, has previously underlined the country’s belief in technology as a force for social progress, saying: “We believe technology holds the key to helping Rwanda address some of our largest societal issues.”
By combining landmark international agreements with a forward-looking technology partnership, Rwanda demonstrated at UNGA80 how strategic diplomacy and innovation can work hand in hand to drive sustainable development and shared prosperity.
