On 31 January 2023 - Ms. Jacqueline MUKANGIRA, High Commissioner of Rwanda to India officially opened the Office of the Honorary Consul of Rwanda in Kolkata.

She also commissioned Mr Rudra Chatterjee, as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Rwanda in Kolkata, with consular jurisdiction over the States ofWest Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Ms. Jacqueline MUKANGIRA, High Commissioner of Rwanda to India

The ceremony attracted about 100 attendees, comprising West Bengal State Government Officials and Business Representatives. Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator of India's G20 Presidency in 2023 and former Foreign Minister of India, graced the event as Guest of honour.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Rwanda, High Commissioner MUKANGIRA congratulated Mr Rudra Chatterjee upon his appointment and vowed full support to Mr Rudra in his new role.

High Commissioner of Rwanda Ms. Jacqueline MUKANGIRA informed the audience that bilateral relations between Rwanda and India are at their highest level, within the overall framework of the strategic partnership, thanks to the competent leadership of the two countries.

West Bengal State Government Officials and Business Representatives in Kolkata attended the event

She also cited Rwanda's achievements in various areas and economic factors attracting investors. High Commissioner MUKANGIRA further invited participants to visit Rwanda and discover its variety of tourist attractions.

Mr Rudra Chatterjee expressed his gratitude for being nominated Honorary Consul of Rwanda and committed to fulfilling his duties successfully. He praised the favourable environment for doing business in Rwanda, an experience he draws from his investment in the country.

Sri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator of India's G20 Presidency in 2023, felicitated Mr Rudra on his new appointment and commended good relations existing between Rwanda and India. Sri Shringla also applauded Rwanda for creating an extraordinary environment for investments.

Sri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator of India's G20 Presidency in 2023

Sri Harsh Vardhan Shringla further updated the audience on ongoing activities allied to India’s G20 Presidency. He conveyed that the G20 will showcase India's capabilities in terms of selfreliance, tourism potential, utilisation and scaling up of digital transformation to help other countries.

During her visit to Kolkata, MUKANGIRA also held meetings with various Officials, including Smt Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State for Finance, Health and Family Welfare, Land and Land Reforms, Refugee and Rehabilitation, West Bengal State. As well as Shri Indranil Sen, Minister of State for Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism; Chairperson of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC); Representatives of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC); and Members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Rwanda has now three Honorary Consulates in India, the two others being the Honorary Consulate in the State of Karnataka, with seat in Bengaluru and the Honorary Consulate in the State of Maharashtra with its seat in Mumbai.