The decision was announced on Tuesday, September 22, in a joint statement issued by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe and Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation Maxime Prévot.

The ministers issued the statement on the sidelines of the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.

The two sides said their embassies will reopen in the "near future". As an initial step, each mission will be headed by a chargé d’affaires ad interim, supported by a diplomat or consular officer and a small technical support team.

The two countries will subsequently begin the process of appointing ambassadors. Rwanda’s ambassador to Belgium will also be accredited to the European Union, according to the statement.

The restoration follows a series of meetings and informal contacts between Nduhungirehe and Prévot in recent months, during which the two sides said they addressed a number of differences and misunderstandings in a constructive spirit.

The two ministers expressed their gratitude to Qatar for facilitating their first meeting in Doha in June 2025.

Rwanda and Belgium said they would maintain “an open, candid and transparent dialogue” as they work to address bilateral differences and divergent positions on international issues.

They also agreed on “non-interference, mutual respect, and constructive engagement” as principles that will guide their future bilateral relations.

The statement said the two countries recognise dialogue as “essential for addressing bilateral differences and discussing divergent positions and outstanding disagreements on international issues.”

Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium on March 17, 2025, accusing Brussels of taking sides in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and of systematically mobilising against Rwanda in international forums.

Rwanda also accused Belgium of seeking to undermine the country and the region in pitiful attempts to sustain its neocolonial delusions.

The dispute came amid tensions over the conflict in eastern DRC, where Rwanda has faced accusations of supporting the M23 rebel group. Kigali has consistently denied the allegations.

Rwanda has instead maintained that its main security concern is the collaboration between the Congolese government and the FDLR, an armed group composed of remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The restoration of diplomatic relations reopens formal channels between Kigali and Brussels after more than a year of strained relations.