Rwanda’s President Explores Azerbaijan’s ASAN Service Success Story

President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has visited the ASAN Service Center in Baku to observe firsthand Azerbaijan’s internationally acclaimed model for public service delivery.

The visit was hosted by Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, who briefed the Rwandan leader on the center’s operations and the wider reforms initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to modernize public administration through innovation and transparency, The Caspian Post reports via local media.

As part of the visit, President Kagame was presented with a comprehensive overview of the ASAN Service model, which has become a hallmark of efficient governance in Azerbaijan. Recognized as a national brand and intellectual export, the ASAN model is now being adopted internationally, with over 30 countries and international organizations having signed cooperation agreements for its implementation.

The United Nations has endorsed ASAN Service as one of the world's leading examples of public service reform and is actively promoting the model across four continents, highlighting Azerbaijan’s growing influence in the field of governance innovation.

President Kagame’s visit follows his earlier trip to Baku in November 2024 to attend COP29, during which he and President Aliyev discussed bilateral cooperation, particularly in the area of public service innovation. As a result of those talks, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June 2025 between the Azerbaijani State Agency and a relevant Rwandan government body, laying the groundwork for Rwanda to adopt elements of the ASAN model.

Officials from both countries view the cooperation as a strategic step toward enhancing governance, citizen services, and institutional capacity through knowledge sharing and technology transfer.