Türkiye's Ambassador-designate to Rwanda Aslan Alper Yüksel stressed on Thursday the importance of further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries as Ankara’s relations with countries in the African continent continue to increase.

Yüksel, who assumed his duties this week, replaced Burcu Çevik, whose tenure ended last month after taking office in 2019.

In a statement, Yüksel noted that relations between the two countries are based on mutual trust, friendship and cooperation, which have rapidly grown in recent years.

"I look forward to devoting my efforts to upholding and further strengthening the strong cooperation between Türkiye and Rwanda in all spheres," he said.

Rwanda and Türkiye maintain cooperation at the bilateral level, covering a wide range of areas, including economy, trade, defense and security.

Last month, the two countries signed new agreements in areas of general cooperation and culture as well as science, technology and innovation.

The agreements were signed by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta in the capital Kigali.

Yüksel said the latest agreements "reaffirmed the excellent level of our relations."

He added that the presence of Turkish citizens in Rwanda constitutes another important element of duty and responsibility.

He promised to meet with all individuals who he said "build a human bridge" between the two countries to listen to their views.

In terms of bilateral trade, Rwanda's annual exports to Türkiye reached over $10 million last year, according to official data. Rwanda's import volumes from Türkiye stood at about $79 million in 2021.

Developing relations and cooperation with African countries is one of the cornerstones of Ankara’s multidimensional foreign policy.

Türkiye’s engagement with the African continent has been gaining pace over the years. Since assuming office nearly two decades ago, first serving as prime minister, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been fostering ties with Africa, presenting Türkiye as a fairer player than the continent’s former colonial powers. Ankara has been stressing the desire to advance relations with the continent on the basis of a win-win relationship and equal partnership while observing mutual respect. Both sides have been vowing to tap into their greater potential when it comes to further expanding and deepening relations.

The number of Turkish Embassies in Africa has increased from just 12 in 2002 to 44 in 2022.