BARBADOS’ HIGH COMMISSIONER to the United Kingdom, Guy Hewitt, and High Commissioner for the Republic of Rwanda, Williams Nkurunziza, recently signed a Joint Communiqué to formally establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The signing ceremony was held at the Rwandan High Commission in the United Kingdom.
The two Commonwealth countries have both expressed a desire to develop and strengthen relations of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Diplomatic relations will be on the basis of non-resident accreditation but Barbados is exploring the possibility of establishing an Honorary Consulate in that African nation in the near future. The High Commissioners also proposed an exchange of high-level visits to further explore avenues of cooperation.
Barbados and the Republic of Rwanda have already signed a Treaty on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income, on December 22, 2014.
The formalising of diplomatic relations is a part of the overall foreign policy strategy of the Government of Barbados to expand and deepen relations with countries in Africa. (Barbados High Commission/BGIS)
