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 largest religion in the country; the principal language is Kinyarwanda, spoken by most Rwandans, with English and French serving as additional official languages. The sovereign state of Rwanda has a presidential system of government. The president is Paul Kagame of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), who took office in 2000. Rwanda today has low corruption compared with neighbouring countries, although human rights organisations report suppression of opposition groups, intimidation and restrictions on freedom of speech. The country has been governed by a strict administrative hierarchy since precolonial times; there are five provinces delineated by borders drawn in 2006. Rwanda is