President Kagame, Estonian counterpart discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations

The meeting took place on July 8, 2026, on the sidelines of the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland, according to the Office of the President.

Estonia is a small country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. The capital, Tallinn, dates back to the 13th century and its Historic Centre, the Old Town is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

With a sparse population, over half of Estonia is covered with forests, the country has the 4th best urban air quality in the world and 2222 islands along its coastline.

With a total population of 1.3 million, about 1.1 million people speak Estonian, making it one of the world’s smallest official national languages.

The country has also transformed the government into a digital government, branding itself as e-Estonia. It was the first country to adopt online voting in 2005, first country with a data embassy and the first country to offer cross-border digital identity to anyone in the world.

President Alar Karis assumed office in 2021, succeeding Kersti Kaljulaid, who served as Estonia's president from 2016.

Rwanda and Estonia have maintained cordial relations over the years, with leaders from both countries engaging regularly to advance bilateral cooperation.

In 2018, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, President Kagame met with then-President Kersti Kaljulaid, shortly after her official visit to Rwanda.

Kaljulaid had visited Rwanda on November 16, 2017, during a trip from Ethiopia, marking her first visit to Africa since taking office.

During that visit, the two countries highlighted their shared commitment to digital innovation and identified significant opportunities for cooperation in technology-based development, e-government, and digital public services.

While in Rwanda, Kaljulaid also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where she paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In a message left at the memorial, she conveyed condolences on behalf of the people of Estonia to Rwanda, survivors, and the families of those who died in the genocide.

President Kagame and President Alar Karis exchanged views on expanding cooperation in digital innovation and e-governance.