The Rwandan High Commissioner to the UK, Amb. Yamina Karitanyi, yesterday presented her letters of commission to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

The event marked Karitanyi’s official assumption of duties as Rwanda’s High Commissioner to the UK.

In a statement, Karitanyi thanked the Queen for the audience and conveyed greetings from President Paul Kagame, expressing the desire to further strengthen a positive relationship and partnership between the two countries.

"Her Majesty the Queen conveyed her best regards to President Kagame and the people of Rwanda,” reads the statement.

Karitanyi later hosted a Vin d’Honneur at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, which was attended by a number of Heads of Diplomatic Missions, the Marshall and Vice Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Officials, Friends of Rwanda and members of the Rwandan community in the UK.

Representing the UK, the Vice Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps, Julian Evans, congratulated Karitanyi r on her accreditation and commended Rwanda’s transformation and continued progress.

Addressing the guests, the high commissioner praised the strong relationship between Rwanda and the UK, saying the partnership has had a positive impact on Rwanda, particularly in Rwanda’s achievement of MDG targets in education, health, poverty reduction achieving gender parity in education.

Karitanyi, according to the statement, echoed the commitment by Rwanda’s leaders’ at the just-concluded 13th Annual Leadership Retreat (Umwiherero) to accountability, increasing Government efficiency and measuring our achievements throughout.

Karitanyi, who is the former head of tourism at Rwanda Development Board, was appointed UK envoy last year, replacing Williams Nkurunziza.

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