GERMANY - President Paul Kagame on Saturday called upon global leaders to champion an extraordinary change not only in Europe, but also in Africa.

He made the plea in his keynote address at the annual Quadriga Award ceremony which took place in the German capital Berlin, an event at which among other achievers, the former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, was recognised for his role in the unification of Germany.

President Kagame was one of the keynote speakers on the accomplishments of Mikhail Gorbachev, and their impact on the world community, and on Africa in particular.

The President noted that combined with the yearning and struggle for dialogue, reform, democracy, and good governance the world-over: "Mikhail Gorbachev’s ideas and their impact in Europe, inspired the global community, including Africa to reject bad governments in the late 1980s and early 1990s.”

"While there were  obviously many actors in the global search for greater openness, transparency, improved governance, and demand for better lives, there was no doubt of the significance of Mikhail Gorbachev’s contribution, who was fittingly recognised for his initiatives as one of the most influential statesmen of the 20th Century,” said Kagame.

President Kagame also  met and exchanged views during the event with leading German and European personalities, who included the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso.

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