Rwanda, Luxembourg Foreign Ministers Agree on Urgent Need for EU-African Union Summit

On Thursday 22 April 2021, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, received his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta, for a working visit to the Grand Duchy.

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister and Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation took stock of the health situation and the progress of vaccinations against COVID-19 in Rwanda and in the European Union (EU).

Minister Jean Asselborn recalled that, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 27th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, at the beginning of April, Luxembourg did not forget the tragic events and the suffering endured by Rwanda.

Regarding relations between the EU and Africa, the two ministers agreed to stress the importance of organising as soon as possible the summit between the EU and the African Union, which was scheduled for 2020 but had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

Minister Jean Asselborn praised the excellent bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Rwanda, particularly in the financial sector and in the field of microfinance. The air services agreement and positive negotiations on a double taxation agreement were also on the agenda of this working meeting.