Vice President Hamid Ansari today arrived in the Rwandan capital on the first leg of his five-day two-nation tour which will also take him to another East African country Uganda.
He was received at the Kigali International Airport by President of the Senate Bernard Makuza.
This is the first high-level visit from India to Rwanda.
En route to this East African country, Ansari while interacting with a media delegation accompanying him onboard Air India One, said, the visit is "part of a conscious effort by the Indian government to intensify our interaction" with Africa.
The Vice President along with his wife Salma Ansari, is accompanied by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, four MPs -- Kanimozhi, Ranvijay Singh Judev, Ranee Narah and P K Biju, senior officials and a media delegation.
During his visit to Rwanda from February 19-21 and Uganda from February 21-23, Ansari will seek to broaden the country's diplomatic footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa, said a senior MEA official, who is accompanying him.
During the five-day visit, Ansari will hold bilateral talks with the leadership and participate in a host of programmes in the two African countries.
The Vice President would pay homage at the genocide museum (in Kigali), interact with the Indian community there and attend a banquet hosted by the Prime Minister of Rwanda.
Ansari's visit comes shortly after the visit of President of Rwanda for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January this year.
In Rwanda, Ansari will launch India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme as part of which there would be a technology expo of India's low-cost innovations. The Vice President along with the Prime Minister of Rwanda would also address an India-Rwanda Business Forum.
"India-Rwanda relations are marked by cordiality, convergence of views and cooperation on major international issues, increasing bilateral trade and investments, greater people-to-people contact and a deep sense of mutual respect," an MEA official said.
"During his visit to Uganda from February 21-23, first high-level bilateral visit since 1997, the Vice President would be meeting his counterpart and the President of Uganda. Ansari would also interact with the Indian community in Kampala," she said.
"The visit is expected to deepen and expand the bilateral relationships," the official said.
The Vice President will also address India-Uganda Business Forum. Besides, he would be paying floral tribute to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Jinja.
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