India has offered to supply drugs & pharmaceuticals to Rwanda in keeping with the requirements of Rwanda's Essential Drugs List, including products to combat HIV/AIDS.

Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law & Justice has given an official assurance to Dr. Charles Murigande, the Foreign Minister of Rwanda in this regard. The visiting minister was also informed about India's interest in the expansion and diversification of trade with Rwanda in sectors like drugs & pharmaceuticals. Jaitley highlighted India's capabilities in this sector and said that the three areas of economic cooperation between India and Rwanda were information technology (both software and hardware), engineering goods and pharmaceuticals. The Rwandan Minister said that his country would welcome Indian expertise in the pharmaceutical sector not only to combat HIV/AIDS, which presently affected about 12 per cent of their population but other major diseases as well.

According to a Commerce Ministry press release, both the ministers noted that the present level of bilateral trade, which stood at a mere US $ 4 million in 2001-02, was miniscule compared to the potential and not commensurate with the close and cordial relations between the two countries. The Rwandan side expressed interest in considering India for sourcing their requirements of electronics and IT and said that these discussions would be carried forward during the visit of Rwandan Trade Minister next month.