Belgium and Rwanda have restored diplomatic relations after an 18-month rupture linked to tensions over the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The two countries announced the renewed ties in a joint statement and thanked Qatar for facilitating their first talks in Doha in June 2025. The rupture had followed the expulsion of each other’s diplomats.

Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the Doha meeting helped create the conditions for further diplomatic rapprochement between Brussels and Kigali.

Qatar’s mediation role

Al-Ansari described the June 2025 meeting as a significant step between the two foreign ministers, who had not met for some time. He said the discussions addressed several underlying issues between the countries.

He also said Belgium and Rwanda had confidence in Qatar because of its record of working with both governments. Qatar has been involved in mediation efforts in Africa’s Great Lakes region, including discussions involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and the M23 armed group.

“This is the way we usually do it. We provide the platform, we provide our trustworthiness, we get the parties involved and then we hope that that trajectory would move in its own right,” al-Ansari said.

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, separately told the United Nations General Assembly that his country sought to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations, with the aim of reaching “just and fair solutions grounded in international law.”

Diplomatic efforts beyond the Great Lakes

Qatar has also been pursuing dialogue over tensions in the Gulf. The country’s foreign minister met his Iranian counterpart to discuss de-escalation and efforts to establish conditions for negotiations.

Al-Ansari said there had been some movement in negotiations concerning an end to the United States-Israel war on Iran, despite setbacks in earlier rounds. He said Qatar was working with Pakistan, Oman and other Gulf Cooperation Council states towards a diplomatic resolution.

“We do believe that there is no alternative to diplomacy, and we cannot afford to let diplomacy fail,” al-Ansari said.

He added that the immediate focus was on maintaining communication and continued exchanges between the parties. “Right now, the emphasis is on keeping the lines of communication open, keeping the exchange going and listening to both sides,” he said.

Qatari leaders also met US President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly. According to al-Ansari, they conveyed that the effects of the Iran war, as well as the conflicts in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, were being felt internationally and could intensify.

“The sooner we get to it, the less the effects will be felt around the world,” he said, referring to the need for diplomatic progress.