KIGALI – Pakistan and Rwanda have opened a new chapter in economic relations with the signing of a Trade Cooperation Agreement designed to boost bilateral trade, attract investment, expand local production and connect businesses with wider regional markets.
The agreement was signed by Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry Antoine Kajangwe and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Rwanda Naeem Khan during the Rwanda–Pakistan Investment Forum 2026 in Kigali.
The agreement establishes a broader framework for trade facilitation, investment cooperation, business partnerships and joint ventures, while paving the way for deeper trade liberalisation, including discussions on a possible Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and, eventually, a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The latest agreement comes as commercial ties between the two countries continue to develop.
According to figures presented at the forum, bilateral trade between Rwanda and Pakistan reached $236.4 million between 2023 and 2025, while Rwanda recorded seven Pakistani investment projects worth more than $2 million during the same period.
Rwanda Development Board Deputy Chief Executive Officer Juliana Muganza said Rwanda was seeking to transform its longstanding diplomatic relationship with Pakistan into stronger trade, investment and business partnerships.
Rwanda itself attracted $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment through around 800 projects last year, highlighting the scale of investment opportunities available in the country.
The agreement goes beyond traditional imports and exports, with both sides exploring ways to establish stronger production and investment links.
Rwanda is positioning itself as a potential production base and gateway to wider African markets, offering Pakistani businesses opportunities to establish operations, form joint ventures and expand their regional footprint.
Rwandan officials have particularly highlighted opportunities for Pakistani investors in agro-processing, textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, tourism and technology.
Minister Antoine Kajangwe said the agreement could help the two economies move towards production partnerships, value addition and job creation, while increasing trade in goods produced locally.
He also highlighted the potential for stronger supply chains and greater participation by businesses from both countries in regional and international markets.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner Naeem Khan highlighted the complementary strengths of the two economies and pointed to significant opportunities for increasing imports from Rwanda.
Potential areas of cooperation include coffee, tea, agriculture, information technology, the digital and knowledge economy, real estate, education, tourism and healthcare.
Rwandan agricultural products including avocados, beans, lentils and pulses were also identified as having potential for greater access to Pakistan’s market.
The two countries are therefore looking beyond conventional trade towards a relationship involving investment, technology transfer, manufacturing and joint commercial ventures.
The new framework also seeks to bring businesses from both countries closer together.
Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation (PSF) is expected to strengthen links with Pakistani chambers of commerce and other business organisations, while the agreement provides for greater exchange of information about trade and investment opportunities.
The Rwanda Development Board has also highlighted investor-support mechanisms covering business registration, licensing, investment incentives, industrial infrastructure and connections with local companies.
The forum itself featured business-to-business (B2B) and government-to-government (G2G) meetings, allowing Pakistani companies to showcase products and directly engage with Rwandan businesses, investors and government institutions.
Multiple sectors open for cooperation
The two sides identified a wide range of sectors for future collaboration, including:
- Agriculture and agro-processing
- Manufacturing and industry
- Textiles and apparel
- Pharmaceuticals
- Information technology
- Digital economy and e-commerce
- Tourism
- Logistics and transport
- Healthcare
- Education
- Youth development
The Pakistani delegation included Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Africa Economic Council; Misbah Khar, Advisor to the Chairman of the Senate and Ambassador of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference; and Dr Rubina Malik, Focal Person for the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme.
Business leaders, investors and private-sector representatives also participated in the Kigali forum.
From diplomatic ties to commercial partnerships
The agreement represents a push to translate longstanding diplomatic relations into tangible economic cooperation.
Pakistan and Rwanda have maintained diplomatic relations since 1962, and both sides have recently increased institutional and business engagement. Pakistan established a resident High Commission in Kigali in 2021, while Rwanda opened its High Commission in Islamabad in 2025.
The latest trade agreement now provides a formal platform for expanding that relationship through trade, investment, manufacturing, technology and private-sector partnerships.
The longer-term objective is to move from simply exchanging goods towards joint production, value addition, investment flows and regional supply-chain integration.
With discussions expected to continue on a possible PTA and eventual FTA, Pakistan and Rwanda are positioning the new framework as a foundation for deeper commercial engagement and expanded access to markets in South Asia and Africa.
