Paul Kagame

Stanford Business School Students meet with President Kagame

Kigali, 25 March 2013

This morning at Urugwiro Village, President Kagame met with thirty three students from Stanford Business School along with Nobel Prize winning economist Myron Scholes. The trip led by four students is part of Stanford Global Study Trip and was focused on understanding the rapid growth rates taking place in Rwanda.

Speaking on his leadership and the plans Rwanda aims to achieve in the future, President Kagame told the students:

I am not the vision, I am only implementing the vision that we put together as a country. We are working on building institutions that will last beyond any individuals and we are keeping our sight on where we want to be. As low as we sank, we have to believe we are the ones to get ourselves out. In the past, Rwanda was surviving on the generosity of the rest of the world. We want to be at global level where we work together, live together and value each other rather than be dependent.”

Kigali, 25 March 2013

The British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague was today received by President Kagame at Urugwiro Village. After the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:

“As members of the Security Council we had a good discussion on a wide scope of issues, ranging from issues in Syria and this region. There are several positive developments in the region in a very difficult situation; including the working of regional states together, the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, all of which Rwanda has played a very positive role”

The Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, who also attended the meeting said:

“We need to assess the relationship between Rwanda and the UK the UK across a long period of time. Friends agree to disagree and our disagreements have been far less than our agreements. I have no reason to believe that the relationship between our two countries has changed dramatically. Our relationship is solid”

Oyo Summit boosts regional peace process for Eastern DRC

Oyo, 24 February 2013

President Kagame today in Oyo, Northern Republic of Congo, participated in the Heads of State Sub-Regional meeting hosted by President Sassou-N’Guesso and attended by President Kabila of the DRC and President Museveni of Uganda. At the meeting, which follows the signing of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes Region in Addis Ababa the Heads of State discussed ongoing regional efforts towards ending conflict in Eastern DRC and establishing security in the region.

Speaking at the end of the five hour closed-door meeting, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told the press:

“It was a very fruitful meeting. The Heads of State have decided to follow closely the implementation of all the outcomes of the various meetings and more importantly the framework all our countries signed last month in Addis Ababa. This is a meeting that signals the kind of commitment and the efforts that our countries have engaged and will continue to engage in to make sure that we find peace in our region so we can continue working on the serious business of development.”

Minister Louise Mushikiwabo also commented on the recent transfer of Bosco Ntaganda to the International Criminal Court and warned against ignoring the root causes of the conflict in Eastern DRC:

“Ntaganda’s desire to face justice is a step in the right direction but the departure of one man in a country that has had so many difficulties in so many years does not signal the end of the problems in DRC. We believe more work needs to be done."