Malian and Rwandan foreign ministers Abdoulaye Diop and Olivier Nduhungirehe discussed implementing cooperation agreements signed in 2024 and preparing a second joint commission meeting in Bamako in 2027. The talks took place in the Malian capital on Monday, 12 October, according to the Malian Press Agency.
Nduhungirehe said the monitoring committee's teams would review existing agreements and examine those still under negotiation. He also called for closer contacts between the foreign ministries and a business forum to encourage trade between the two countries.
The discussions covered security, economic and social development, education and technology. AMAP described the trip as the first visit to Mali by a Rwandan foreign minister since January 2017. It included a review of bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest.
The process builds on the first joint commission, held in Kigali in May 2024. On 27 May that year, Rwanda's foreign ministry announced 19 agreements covering areas including digitalisation, health, investment promotion and agriculture. The current discussions concern implementing that framework and preparing the next stage, rather than signing a new package of agreements.
On continental affairs, Nduhungirehe reaffirmed Rwanda's commitment to the African Union and said Kigali did not support African sanctions against member states, the Malian agency reported. The ministers stressed coordination within African and international organisations. No date was announced for the proposed business forum.
