SERENA HOTEL, 22ND NOVEMBER 2011

  • Your Excellency Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo;
  • Members of your distinguished delegation;
  • Distinguished Guests;
  • Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am delighted to welcome you and your delegation to Rwanda and I wish to take this opportunity to convey to you the warm greetings and best wishes of the Rwandan people.

May I also say that we have fond memories of our visit to your beautiful country last year. We hope that Your Excellency and your delegation are enjoying your stay with us, and experiencing Rwandan hospitality.

Your Excellency:

Tonight we celebrate a brotherly partnership and the bond of friendship between our nations.

We are united by strong cultural ties and shared values, converging interests and a common vision of the future of our continent.

We believe, Mr. President, as indeed you do, in a vision of a politically strong and independent, peaceful, and secure Africa in which all our citizens live in dignity and enjoy prosperity.

The current international economic crisis and other profound changes around the world have confirmed what we have always known: that our increasingly inter-dependent world means what happens in one part will invariably impact another.

It is therefore imperative that we adopt a collaborative approach, especially intra-African cooperation, in order to achieve sustainable development. The African voice is stronger, and our interests are better articulated when countries and leaders with a shared worldview come together.

Results of this kind of partnership are already evident in the bilateral relations and existing areas of cooperation we in Rwanda seek to reinforce with the Republic of Congo.

Your presence here is testimony to this fact and I am convinced will provide further impetus to the process.

There can be no doubt that driven by current global realities, and inspired by the desire of our people to lead dignified lives, we can work together and succeed in building a better future for our nations and our continent.

Mr President;

Rwandans enjoy the company of good friends and valued guests. Tonight is a good opportunity to relax, and appreciate the richness of our culture in music, dance and engaging conversation. We are very pleased to share this with you.

May I at this juncture request you all to join me in a toast to the health of His Excellency President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and to the prosperity of the people of the Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

I thank you for your kind attention and wish you all a good evening.