Rwanda, Netherlands commit to strengthen bilateral ties

Rwanda and the Netherlands have expressed readiness to maintain and strengthen their bilateral relations. This was one of the highlights of discussions held between President Paul Kagame and several government officials of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, according to a statement from the President’s office, released yesterday. Preceded by the seventh edition of Rwanda Day, held in Amsterdam on Saturday and attended by over four thousand Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, President Kagame’s working visit began with a meeting with His Majesty King Willem-Alexander in Amsterdam followed by a discussion on financial inclusion with Queen Máxima. ‘‘As one of Rwanda’s earliest development partners in the aftermath of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the Netherlands continues to be a key supporter of Rwanda’s justice sector,’’ the statement said. President Kagame held discussions with President of the Senate Ankie Broekers-Knol and Speaker of the House of Representatives Anouchka van Miltenburg as well as Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During his meeting with the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Kagame highlighted the strength of Rwanda’s bilateral relations with the Netherlands, according to the statement. “The country was rebuilt from scratch thanks to the resilience of the people of Rwanda and support of partners such as Netherlands. Rwanda has been developing over the last two decades against many challenges in different areas,” he said. At a business roundtable dinner hosted by Sharon Dijksma on Monday, President Kagame encouraged business leaders to join Rwanda’s journey: “Investments in Rwanda not only have return for investors but it also has impact in transforming lives.” Commenting on Rwanda’s success on the 2000-2015 Millenum Development Goals (MDGs), the President of the Senate Broekers-Knol and the Speaker of the House Anouchka van Miltenburg expressed commitment to continued and strengthened bilateral relations between the two countries. President Kagame ended his working visit yesterday with a meeting with Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ‘‘The Netherlands is leading among European nations in holding Genocide fugitives accountable and remains a key partner to Rwanda in the justice sector as well as water management and food security,’’ the statement added. To date, there are 10 private investment projects from the Netherlands in Rwanda with a total value of 52, 7 million USD. In a tweet, the Rwandan minister for Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, described the visit as ‘‘two days of productive discussions on business, politics and global issues.’’ editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Rwanda, Netherlands commit to strengthen bilateral ties