A Ugandan delegation led by foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa is in the Rwandan capital Kigali attending the first meeting of the joint Ad-hoc Commission set up to help implement the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Rwanda and Uganda in Luanda in August.
The meeting is aimed at normalising relations between the two neighbouring nations.
Others on the Ugandan team are Attorney General William Byaruhanga and Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo.
Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of the East African Community, is leading the Rwandan delegation.
Rwanda’s delegation also comprises Frank Mugambage, High Commissioner to Uganda, Anaclet Kalibata, the Director-General of External Intelligence at the National Intelligence and Security Services.
After months of high-level political dialogue, Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame signed an MoU on regional co-operation and security, setting the pace for the improvement of political and trade relations between Uganda and Rwanda.
According to the pact, the two leaders agreed to “respect the sovereignty” of Uganda and Rwanda and other neighbouring countries.
The two leaders also agreed to “resume as soon as possible the cross-border activities between both countries, including the movement of persons and goods, for the development and improvement of the lives of their population”.
Kutesa and co are in Kigali for the harmonisation of the implementation process of the accord.
Officials from around the region are attending the meeting, particularly from neighbouring DR Congo and Angola.
Foreign affairs State minister Olivier Nduhungirehe is leading the Rwandan delegation. Manuel Domingos Augusto, Angola’s external affairs minister and Gilbert Malamba, DR Congo’s Deputy Prime Minister of interior, security and customary affairs, are attending the meeting.