Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Dr Vincent Biruta, was for an official working visit in the Netherlands on 6 & 7 November 2023.  

On Monday 6th November, Hon Vincent Biruta paid a visit to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), where he met Mr Fernando Arias, Director General of the Organisation.
They exchanged on the role and achievements of the OPCW in eliminating chemical weapons from the face of the earth, and on how to enhance collaboration between Rwanda and the OPCW Technical Secretariat.

In the evening of Monday 6th November, Minister Vincent Biruta had a working dinner, at the Hotel des Indes in The Hague, with the African Group of Ambassadors in The Hague. They discussed about the integration of the continent and the promotion of African interests in international organisations based in the Netherlands.
Seventeen (17) African countries have resident embassies in The Hague, which are active, together with non-resident embassies based in Brussels (36) and Paris (1), in developing their respective bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as advancing interests of the continent.

In the morning of Tuesday 7th November, Hon Vincent Biruta met with Mr Dick Schoof, Secretary General in the Ministry of Justice and Security of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. They discussed about the excellent bilateral cooperation between the Netherlands and Rwanda in the justice sector.
Beyond the Dutch assistance in rebuilding and equipping our courtrooms, as well as its support in building the capacity of judges, prosecutors and lawyers after the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi, the Netherlands was one of the most active countries in holding genocide fugitives to account.
The Minister also exchanged with the Secretary General on "The Ljubljana - The Hague Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance", to be signed in The Hague on 14-15 February 2024. This Convention, which has been promoted and supported by both The Netherlands and Rwanda, is a landmark international treaty that will help deliver justice to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes by facilitating effective and efficient international cooperation in the domestic investigation and prosecution of these crimes.

On Tuesday 7th November, Hon Vincent Biruta had a fruitful luncheon with Hon Hanke Bruins Slot, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They discussed on a wide range of issues related to the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, the situation in our respective continents, the AU-EU partnership, as well as our multilateral cooperation.

On the same day, Minister Vincent Biruta met Mr Christiaan Rebergen, Vice-Minister in Dutch Ministry of Finance, with whom they discussed cooperation between the two countries, especially in financing innovative projects in the field of climate, and exchanged on the upcoming COP28, to be held in Dubai, UAE.

To conclude his two-day working visit in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Minister Vincent Biruta met this evening with the Rwandan community in the Netherlands in a reception, during which he briefed and interacted with them on the situation in the country and in the region, and on their contribution to the governance and prosperity of their country, ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Click here for the photos taken during the working visit.

Click here for the photos taken during the evening with the Minister and the African Group of Ambassadors in The Hague

Click here for the photos taken during the evening with the Minister and the Rwandan community.

Click here to read the article published by OPCW.