On October 9, President Paul Kagame held talks with the President of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyern, focusing on collaboration and continued support for vaccine production in Rwanda.
These discussions were followed by the announcement of a grant worth 95 million euros (over 160 billion Rwandan francs) to support BioNTech mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant in Rwanda.
The funding aims at supporting vaccine production in Africa. It includes 40 million euros (about 70 billion Rwandan francs) allocated to Rwanda to support vaccine manufacturing and other medical equipment.
This funding comes as an addition to nearly 55 million euros previously granted to Rwanda through other initiatives that back this new milestone, which benefits the African continent.
The two leaders met during the Global Gateway Forum 2025, an investment-focused summit taking place in Brussels, Belgium.
During this forum, President Paul Kagame emphasized that genuine partnerships must go beyond aid tied to restrictive conditions that undermine the recipient’s independence. Instead, they should focus on building in other countries and sharing mutual benefits.
He said: “Cooperation only works when it is built on the right foundation. We are here to discuss partnerships; however, the term seems to mean different things to people. For some, it is about giving instruction and setting conditions; for others it means complying.
Africa’s experience shows that this approach doesn’t deliver the transformation that we need. A good partnership doesn’t create dependency. It creates value. If you want to work with Africa, a true and lasting partnership must be equal, with shared risk and reward.”
This plant, supported by the Team Europe initiative, represents a major step in Africa’s journey toward self-reliance in vaccine manufacturing and preparedness against pandemic threats.
The funding marks a significant stride in Rwanda’s efforts to advance its healthcare sector globally, with a unique focus on promoting medical technologies and pharmaceuticals across Africa.
This is not the first EU grant to Rwanda. In 2022, the European Union pledged 20 million euros to support Rwandan troops in combating terrorism in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
Rwanda and the European Union already have cooperation agreements across several sectors, including health and mineral resource development.
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