Rwanda and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina have agreed to establish diplomatic relations.
According to a joint statement by Rwanda's Minister of State in Charge of Cooperation, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Eugène-Richard Gasana, and his Bosnia and Herzegovina counterpart Ambassador Mirsada Čolaković , the two countries signed a formal agreement to establish diplomatic ties on Thursday in New York.
"It is a historic moment for both the Government of Rwanda and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish diplomatic relations, when both countries experienced a genocide recognised by ad-hoc international criminal tribunals established by the UN Security Council; the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) respectively," the statement said.
During the signing ceremony, the statement added, both Ambassadors emphasised their shared history as a way to contribute to the mutual understanding of their past, strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and asked for recognition by the European Union (EU). In a March 1992 referendum, Bosnian voters chose independence.
The country sometimes called simply Bosnia, is in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Sarajevo with an estimated urban population of 452,000 people. The country's top economic priorities are: acceleration of integration into the EU; strengthening the fiscal system; public administration reform; World Trade Organization (WTO) membership; and securing economic growth by fostering a dynamic, competitive private sector. The economy relies heavily on the export of metals as well as on remittances and foreign aid.