ISLAMABAD: Rwandan ambassador Fatou Harerimana on Sunday highlighted the potential of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Rwanda, stressing the need for increased collaboration. There is a need to expand bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries, for which the role of the private sector is very important, the envoy said, adding that the two nations enjoy friendly relations supported by mutual respect, growing economic ties and cooperation in various sectors. “Rwanda and Pakistan, with a longstanding relationship spanning sixty-two years, actively collaborate in various fields, including trade, health, and investment,” she said. Ms Fatou said Rwanda’s GDP grew by 9.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, exceeding the previous year’s growth rate of 8.2 per cent. The country has shown remarkable resilience, driven by strong consumer spending in key sectors such as services and industry, she added. The ambassador said despite ongoing challenges, the African nation’s labour market experienced a strong recovery, with over half a million new jobs created in the fourth quarter of 2023, marking the most significant reduction in unemployment since the COVID pandemic. “The labour market expansion in Rwanda was broad-based, with women benefiting slightly more than men. To leverage its youth demographic, Rwanda needs to expand labour force participation, as only 2.8 million out of 8.1 million working-age individuals are employed.” She said that Rwanda aspires to become a Middle-Income Country by 2035 and a High-Income Country by 2050. It plans to achieve this through the implementation of the second National Strategies for Transformation (NST-2), a five-year development agenda supported by sectoral strategies focused on meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).