Rwanda and the European Union (EU) have strengthened their strategic partnership with the signing of a new €95 million support package to advance vaccine manufacturing, economic inclusion, and regional integration.
The announcement came after a bilateral meeting between President Paul Kagame and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum 2025.
The two leaders exchanged views on deepening Rwanda–EU cooperation, particularly the EU’s continued support for the BioNTech mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Kigali.
They were later joined by Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank, and BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin to mark the new investment package. This symbolizes a landmark project in Africa’s growing capacity for scientific innovation and health independence.
President Kagame welcomed the commitment, describing it as a model of productive cooperation that aligns with Africa’s development priorities.
“For Africa, the priorities are clear. We need infrastructure, technology, and industries to trade competitively. For Europe, the opportunity is equally evident. Africa offers a growing market, talent, and the natural resources essential for the green and digital transformation,” Kagame said at the forum.
“Our interests are aligned, and this is the right time to turn them into sustained, mutual growth. This is precisely what the Global Gateway can make possible, if we remain consistent and pragmatic,” he pointed out.
A new chapter in Africa–Europe partnership
Speaking at the Global Gateway Forum earlier in the day, President Kagame urged world leaders to embrace a new model of partnership with Africa, one defined by shared risk, equality, and mutual benefit.
He said the global economy was at a turning point, warning that inward-looking policies could undermine both economic progress and collective security.
“A good partnership does not create dependency. It creates value,” Kagame emphasized, noting that Africa’s experience has proven that conditional or one-sided cooperation does not yield transformation.
He underscored that Africa’s path to prosperity lies in building infrastructure, technology, and industrial capacity, while Europe stands to benefit from the continent’s expanding markets and youthful talent.
Kagame highlighted the BioNTech vaccine facility in Kigali as proof of what effective cooperation can deliver.
The state-of-the-art plant, based on BioNTech’s modular BioNTainer technology, is designed to produce a variety of mRNA-based vaccines, a milestone that will strengthen regional health resilience and reduce import dependency.
EU’s growing commitment
Von der Leyen hailed the partnership as an example of what the EU’s Global Gateway strategy seeks to achieve, sustainable, long-term cooperation that benefits both continents.
“Our initial goal was to mobilize EUR 300 billion in five years. But today, we have already hit that target. In four years, we have already mobilized more than EUR 306 billion. And I am confident we will surpass EUR 400 billion by 2027,” she said.
The new €95 million package complements previous EU investments exceeding €93 million in Rwanda’s vaccine manufacturing ecosystem.
It supports local research and development, biotech entrepreneurship, and technical training, part of a broader goal to position Rwanda as a regional hub for health innovation.
The funding also includes investments to strengthen economic inclusion programs, particularly for refugees and vulnerable communities. According to the EU, the initiative will help build sustainable livelihoods and inclusive growth alongside technological advancement.
For Rwanda, it marks another decisive step in transforming from aid dependency to value creation, a principle Kagame insists must define Africa’s future relations with its global partners.
