Minister Nduhungirehe advances ties in Seoul, hails U.N. council elections

Nduhungirehe joined African foreign ministers attending the Africa-Korea Foreign Ministers’ Forum, which brought together officials to explore opportunities in trade, investment, technology and development cooperation.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, talks between President Lee and the visiting ministers centered on deepening Africa–South Korea relations and identifying new areas of collaboration.

South Korea remains one of Rwanda’s key development partners, with cooperation spanning technology, education, trade, investment and capacity-building programs.

During the forum, Nduhungirehe highlighted Rwanda’s investment opportunities, particularly in the mining and energy sectors, as the country seeks to attract more foreign investment and strengthen international economic ties.

On the sidelines of the meeting, he held bilateral talks with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, focusing on strengthening diplomatic relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.

Nduhungirehe also met members of the Rwandan diaspora living in South Korea during a gathering in Seoul. The discussions focused on Rwanda’s development priorities, foreign policy direction and the role of Rwandans abroad in supporting national development.

Meanwhile, Nduhungirehe welcomed the election of five countries as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term.

Zimbabwe, Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal and Trinidad and Tobago were elected during voting held at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Zimbabwe secured 182 votes from U.N. member states. Portugal received 134 votes, while Austria won 131 votes, securing the seats allocated to the Western European and Others Group.

Kyrgyzstan won election from the Asia-Pacific group after three rounds of voting against the Philippines, securing 142 votes and earning its first term on the council.

In a statement, Nduhungirehe congratulated the newly elected members.

“Congratulations to Zimbabwe, Kyrgyzstan, Trinidad and Tobago, Portugal and Austria on your election as non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council for the 2027–2028 term,” he said.

The United Nations Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security and is the only U.N. body that can adopt legally binding resolutions, including sanctions and authorization of the use of force. It is composed of 15 members, including five permanent members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.