King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan concluded his three-day working visit to Rwanda.
On Sunday, January 7 in the evening the plane carrying King Abdullah II arrived at Kigali International Airport, he was received by President Paul Kagame, who welcomed him to the Country of Thousand Hills.
The two officials went to the Office of the President of Rwanda, Village Urugwiro, where they held private talks and represented the agreement signed between Rwanda and the Kingdom of Jordan.
The signed agreements include the prevention of double taxation of goods from one country to another, an agreement on cooperation in agriculture, trade and economy, and cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
In addition to other bilateral relations between the two countries, they discussed the exchange of political views to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, tourism, and agriculture.
On the second day of his visit, King Abdullah II visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta, and Jean-Damascène Bizimana, Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement.
His Majesty Abdullah II was given an explanation of the history and the difficult times that Rwanda went through during the Genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. He visited all parts of the Kigali Genocide Memorial and paid tribute to the victims of the Genocide against Tutsis who rested there.
King Abdullah II said that what he witnessed in Kigali is a sign of how the values of humanity and self-importance of foreign countries endangered the lives of innocent people until they were killed because of how they were born.
In his message in the tribute book at the memorial, he wrote that the Kigali Genocide Memorial shows a sad part of the history of the country and a lesson for humanity, and that what was shared became a lesson for the world so that people can overcome problems and reconcile.
“The Kigali Genocide Memorial commemorates a painful part of Rwanda’s history and is a lesson to humanity. It is a testament to this nation’s dedication to national reconciliation. The stories shared here hold lessons for the whole world about overcoming great tragedies and working towards unity, peace, and resilience.”
King Abdullah II also praised the efforts of Rwandans to rebuild the country that had been destroyed by the Genocide.
King Abdullah II thanked President Kagame for the way he welcomed him and stated that Jordan will continue cooperation with Rwanda.
“Grateful to my dear friend President Paul Kagame for the warm hospitality. Inspiring to witness firsthand how the Rwandan people, through resilience and unity turned Rwanda into a beacon of progress and prosperity admired by all. Jordan is keen to advance its partnership with you,” King Abdullah II on X.
President Paul Kagame also replied that it was a pleasure to welcome Majesty King Abdullah II to Rwanda, thanking him for his visit to Rwanda.
“Thank you my brother Your Majesty King Abdullah II . It was a pleasure to welcome you to Rwanda and we thank you for your visit,” President Kagame wrote on X.
It is the first time that King Abdullah II of Jordan has arrived in Rwanda. The visit was aimed at strengthening the growing relationship between the two countries.
In March 2022, President Paul Kagame visited Jordan, where he was hosted by King Abdullah II for a bilateral meeting to discuss enhancing ongoing areas of cooperation in defense and security, especially in fighting terrorism through information and expertise sharing.