GASABO - The Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the GLR Amb. Liberata Mulamula has said since the signing of a regional pact in 2006, there has been a lot of dialogue and mutual understanding among leaders in the Great Lakes Region (GLR) which has helped solve conflicts.

This was during the Regional Planning Meeting on Economic Development and Regional Integration in the ICGLR that opened yesterday at Novotel hotel, Kigali.

The main objective of the four-day meeting is to reach a common understanding and consensus among various stakeholders. It is also expected to provide an opportunity for participants to present the status of implementation of various projects and also to identify gaps in planning and budgeting. 

Mulamula said that the objective was mainly to enhance dialogue in order to promote peace in the region if development is to be achieved.

"Before, most leaders could not see eye to eye and discuss issues on the same table until a regional pact was signed in 2006 by all member states in the region. Since then, there has been a lot of dialogue among leaders in seeking better means to defuse tensions and resolve conflicts,” Mulamula said.

While opening the planning meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminari, said that Rwanda attaches great commitment on economic development and regional integration because they are vital in building everlasting peace and security in the region.

"For the last five years, we have witnessed fundamental changes in the region among which was the signing of the pact on peace and security in the ICGLR. This has been very important in transforming poverty reduction, strengthening and improving the well being of all the people in the region,” Museminari reiterated.

In 2006, Heads of State and government of the ICGLR member-States met in Nairobi and signed a pact on security, stability and development including among others the Dar-Es-Salaam Declaration, various programs of action and protocols.

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