Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who is on 10-day visit to Africa, signed in Rwanda a memorandum of understanding to upgrade relations between the two countries.
After meeting with Rwanda President Paul Kagame, the minister inaugurated the Rwanda-Israel Center of Excellence for Horticultural Development.
The minister also placed a wreath at a memorial to the victims of the Rwandan genocide.
After Rwanda, Lieberman was due to visit four other African countries, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya.
He said Israel’s relationship with African countries is of ‘’prime strategic importance’’ from the security, diplomatic and economic standpoints as well as on many other levels.
The minister is accompanied by a delegation from the Israel Export Institute that includes representatives from some 50 Israeli companies.
In Kenya, he will inaugurate a direct airline route between Tel Aviv and Nairobi, will award prizes to children who participated in a drawing competition of pictures of the Holy Land marking 50 years of Israel-Kenya relations and will inaugurate a children's cancer ward that was refurbished by the Israeli embassy in Kenya.
‘’Africa is an important goal of Israeli foreign policy, and we will make a diplomatic effort to ensure that Israel will be accepted in the coming year as an observer in the African Union,’’ he added.
He said there are many areas where Israel can help African countries with aid and development, citing agriculture, water management, medicine, combating terrorism.