Russia–Rwanda relations Russia–Rwanda relations Russia–Rwanda relations () refers to the bilateral relationship between the two countries, Russia and Rwanda. On 30 June 1962, a day before Rwanda gained independence from Belgium, the Soviet Union sent a telegram to Kigali recognising Rwanda as a sovereign and independent state, and offered to establish diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations were established between the two states on 17 October 1963. Rwanda recognised the Russian Federation in January 1992 as the successor state of the Soviet Union, after the latter's dissolution. Russia has an embassy in Kigali. The current Ambassador of Russia to Rwanda is Andrey Vradimirovich Polyakov,
Rwanda is comparable in size to Burundi, Haiti and Albania. The entire country is at a high altitude: the lowest point is the Rusizi River at above sea level. Rwanda is located in Central/Eastern Africa, and is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, and Burundi to the south. It lies a few degrees south of the equator and is landlocked. The capital, Kigali, is located near the centre of Rwanda. The watershed between the major Congo and Nile drainage basins runs from north to south through Rwanda, with