Kigali Becomes St. Louis’ Newest Sister City
Capital of Rwanda becomes 17th sister city for St. Louis
Kigali, Rwanda, has become the newest sister city for St. Louis. The agreement became official after a signing ceremony on Nov. 10 held during a trade mission to Rwanda, hosted by World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC), the international division of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.
St. Louis and Kigali, Rwanda have agreed to collaborate for the mutual benefit of their communities by exploring economic, educational and cultural opportunities. Through this agreement, the two cities will work to develop new economic connections through trade and investment with a focus on agriculture and agricultural technology, biosciences, healthcare and information and communications technology. They will also make connections in urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, workforce development and academic and cultural institutions.
“This is an incredible opportunity for both of our cities, and I am thrilled Kigali is officially our 17th Sister City,” said St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer. “St. Louis has benefitted from the strong cultural understandings and innovations that grow out of our Sister City relationships. St. Louis has always seen itself as a global city, and I look forward to the many relationships and connections we will build here.”
“Kigali and St. Louis may be thousands of kilometres apart, but we share a common ambition: to build cities where people thrive, and opportunities grow,” said Samuel Dusengiyumva, mayor of the City of Kigali. “Through this sister-city agreement, we want to bring our communities closer, exchange knowledge and experiences and explore new opportunities for cooperation. We believe this partnership will create lasting value for the people of both cities.”
Kigali, the largest city in Rwanda, is considered the country’s economic center and an up-and-coming trade market for St. Louis. Overall, East Africa is predicted to be the fastest-growing economic region globally over the next two decades. According to a 2023 report from Euromonitor, East Africa is expected to deliver a Gross Domestic Product Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2022 through 2040 of 6.1%, outperforming the Southeast Asia and Latin American markets.
Kigali becomes the 17th sister city for St. Louis and the first since Rosario, Argentina, in 2017. The St. Louis Sister Cities Program is part of the WTC’s international mission. Sanctioned locally by Sister Cities International, WTC supports and oversees the additional 16 sister cities committees and provides guidance for those interested in establishing new sister cities relations.
“We are very excited about the addition of Kigali as our newest sister city,” said Renée Brummell Franklin, Missouri state representative for Sister Cities International and WTC board member. “We look forward to building new relationships and new opportunities with this great city.”
