Israeli President Isaac Herzog has received the diplomatic credentials of Rwanda’s new ambassador to Israel, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bayingana, at the President’s Residence.
Rwanda and Israel continue to cooperate across agriculture, information and communication technology, education, trade and security, building on diplomatic relations re-established in 1994.
Israel inaugurated its first resident embassy in Kigali on April 1, 2019, marking a step towards closer bilateral engagement. At the time, Rwanda identified agriculture, ICT, defence, education, science and women’s empowerment among the areas of cooperation.
Agriculture has been a key area of collaboration. The two countries established the Rwanda-Israel Horticulture Centre of Excellence at Mulindi to promote improved horticultural practices among smallholder and commercial farmers.
Their cooperation also covers trade and investment, capacity building, air services and counter-terrorism, according to Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
High-level visits have reinforced diplomatic ties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Rwanda in 2016, followed by President Paul Kagame’s visit to Israel in 2017. Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Rwanda on April 7, 2024, to attend the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
While Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bayingana has been reported as Rwanda’s new ambassador to Israel, the specific claim that Herzog has received his diplomatic credentials could not be independently confirmed from the official sources reviewed. That detail should be added once an official announcement is available.
