Rwanda and Tanzania have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral ties, spotlighting strategic initiatives in air connectivity, railway infrastructure, and linguistic collaboration during the 16th Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) held Saturday in Kigali.
The two East African nations, already bound by strong diplomatic and economic relations, are now charting a more ambitious course that includes enhancing regional transport networks and promoting Kiswahili as a shared official language.
Strengthening Air Connectivity Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, praised the growth of passenger flights between the countries—particularly RwandAir’s daily services to Tanzania.
“Ninety percent of our delegation flew here on RwandAir. The airline is doing a great job, and that’s a signal of strong connectivity between our nations,” Kombo said, noting that air links are vital to regional integration.
He added that discussions are underway to resume Air Tanzania flights to Kigali, which were suspended for unspecified reasons. Plans include expanding to cargo services as Tanzania looks to mobilize its freight capacity to support Rwandan trade.
Pushing Forward the Railway Agenda Kombo confirmed the two governments are engaged in feasibility studies and route planning for a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Tanzania and Rwanda. The line is expected to ease the transport of goods and bolster trade competitiveness for both nations.
This development supports Rwanda’s vision of becoming a regional services hub and aligns with broader East African transport integration goals.
Kiswahili as a Bridge Language The foreign minister also commended Rwanda’s growing embrace of Kiswahili, now one of its four official languages alongside English, French, and Kinyarwanda.
“Tanzania is the guardian of Kiswahili,” Kombo said, highlighting his country’s role as the regional and global center for Kiswahili through institutions backed by the African Union, SADC, and UNESCO.
Tanzania pledged to support Rwanda’s language development through books, teachers, and initiatives to promote Kiswahili education at school level. The language is spoken by over 200 million people across Africa, according to UNESCO.
Broad-Spectrum Cooperation Kombo applauded the multifaceted partnership between the two nations, with agreements to intensify cooperation in political dialogue, defense, security, trade, agriculture, tourism, ICT, energy, and public health.
“This Joint Permanent Commission reflects our shared ambition to unlock greater potential in all sectors,” he said, following talks with his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe.
