President Paul Kagame has said that Caribbean and Africa have a lot in common, beginning with people, describing it as a deep connection that the geographical distance can’t eliminate. Kagame made the remarks on Friday, as he participated at the ‘Think Jamaica 2022’ a government-to-government dialogue between leaders of Rwanda and Jamaica. The event also marked the conclusion of his three-day visit to Jamaica. Looking at the potential of the cooperation, Kagame said that priority should be towards creating that environment and possibility for people to travel. “We have to deal with visa issues and make sure we create waivers so that we really encourage this connection knowing that we have interest in one another, we can benefit one another,” he said. The head of state also shared Rwanda’s transformational journey, 28 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In 1994 we started from scratch, he said. “Those of us who inherited this mess, we tried to put together a team of leaders in different sectors to try and resuscitate the public sector and from there, everything else that would follow,” he said. For Rwanda, Kagame said, there is something that will always be helpful, it is to look in the eyes of people and say; “You are part of this. It’s a fight, it’s a struggle. It doesn’t matter your background, you have something to offer. There is nobody else who is going to do that for you.” Commenting on the path to recover from the atrocities, he said, it was a complex situation where the whole society had to do soul searching. “What is it that we can do? How do we do it? With whom do we do it? And how do we move from this really low point and start bringing normalcy in life of communities,” “Whatever little resources were at our disposal, we had to make sure for every dollar you did what it was worth. And for everyone doing something, they had to feel a sense of accountability, you have to do what you’re doing but in the end you have to show results,” he said. Rwanda and Jamaica are looking to strengthen and advance their relations following my President Kagame’s visit. The two governments signed two bilateral memoranda of understanding to formalise joint activities and lay the groundwork for deeper engagement. They include a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Tourism, and a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultation. “ look forward to an even more vibrant partnership between Jamaica and Rwanda in the years ahead,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
