Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness and President of Rwanda Paul Kagame led respective delegations in discussions and signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), at Jamaica House on Friday.

Both countries signed an MOU on political consultations and development, and promotion of tourism. The two political leaders anticipate that the MOUs will deepen the bonds between the two countries as they seek to grow their respective economies for the benefit of their citizens.

“The robust dialogue we had, builds on the areas of expertise within the respective countries, allowed us to share experiences and best practices, and brought us closer, by exploring avenues to expand economic and technical cooperation.

“Establishing and deepening strong fraternal connections with countries of the African continent have been a strategic area of focus for Jamaica’s diplomatic engagements under my administration,” Holness said.

According to the prime minister, the MOU on political consultations will put in place a structure for bilateral discussions and explore the potential for future collaboration.

“As we continue to engage, we now have a framework within which our substantive mechanism can be implemented,” Holness said. He stated that the MOU on development and promotion of tourism facilitates best practices and experiences in areas such as community, rural and ecotourism, which will be mutually beneficial.

“There is also scope to learn from our Rwandan friends, how we can further attract visitors by marketing our country as an ideal place for hosting meetings, conferences and other high-level engagements,” said Holness.

For his part, Kagame said some organisations are already in place that both countries should work through to achieve their goals.

“The wheel does not need to be reinvented. We are already members of key international organisations such as The Commonwealth and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and the Pacific States and we can leverage these platforms for mutual benefit.

“We should also work together on the global stage, to advocate for policies of particular relevance to our people and the climate change mitigation is a notable example. When the will to work together is strong, even distance cannot separate us or slow us down,” Kagame said.