Kigali, 22 February 2019

President Kagame today hosted envoys to the Diplomatic Luncheon, an annual diplomatic event that brings together all envoys accredited to Rwanda at the beginning of the year. 13 new envoys also presented their letters of credence to President Kagame, before joining the luncheon.

In his remarks, President Kagame welcomed the new envoys to Rwanda:

“I would like to welcome all the new ambassadors representing their countries for the first time, including those who have presented their credentials earlier today, as well as the new Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the Embassy of Israel which will be based in Kigali. We appreciate the work that you do, as the custodians of the bilateral relationships between Rwanda and the countries and organisations you represent.”

President Kagame observed that the previous year was a busy and satisfying year for Rwanda:

“We were pleased to nurture an ever more conducive environment for business, we were recognised in the annual World Bank Doing Business Report. Rwanda moved up twelve places from the previous year and now ranks 29th in the world – the second in Africa. We want to attract more investment, innovation and joint ventures, both at home and with you our partners and the countries you represent from the region and beyond.”

President Kagame extended an invitation to the envoys to attend the 25th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi.