Switzerland plans to open an embassy in Kigali as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with Rwanda. A delegation from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently visited Rwanda to assess areas of cooperation between the two countries. Reliable sources told The New Times that the embassy is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
The embassy will be a fully functioning mission, replacing the regional cooperation office for the Great Lakes region that had been operating for decades. Diplomatic ties between Switzerland and Rwanda began in the early 1960s. Switzerland previously had an embassy in Kigali from 1970 to 1985 before relocating it to Nairobi.
Sources further indicate that Switzerland has officially announced its intention to open the embassy.
On Tuesday, June 3, the Governments of Rwanda and Switzerland held their first bilateral consultation meeting. The Swiss delegation, led by Ambassador Phillip Stalder—Head of Africa and Francophonie Division at the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs—met with various Rwandan officials, including Gen. (Rtd) James Kabarebe, State Minister for Regional Cooperation.
On Monday, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Kabarebe and Stalder discussed several areas of cooperation, including TVET education, healthcare, climate change, and affordable housing. Other topics included urban development and conflict resolution in the justice sector.
In an exclusive interview with The New Times on Tuesday, Ambassador Stalder said Rwanda has been made a priority in Switzerland’s development agenda.
“Since Rwanda’s early days of independence, we have engaged in development cooperation. That has been the backbone of our partnership, and we want to go even further,” he said.
“Rwanda is a priority in our development cooperation and will remain so in the coming years.”
President Paul Kagame has visited Switzerland on multiple occasions, notably attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. Ambassador Stalder noted that high-level engagement with Swiss leaders, including ministerial meetings, has reinforced bilateral relations.
“Our foreign ministers met twice in the past 10 months, once in New York and most recently in Geneva. That truly strengthens our partnership,” he said.
Stalder added that Switzerland-Rwanda cooperation will be guided by Switzerland’s Africa Strategy for 2025–2028, which aims to promote peace, security, and development in the region.
Switzerland’s current ambassador to Rwanda, based in Nairobi, is Mirko Giulietti. He presented his credentials to President Kagame in November 2024.
Rwanda has an embassy in Geneva, led by Ambassador Urujeni Bakuramutsa, who is also accredited to Austria, Slovenia, the Vatican, Liechtenstein, and the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna.
