President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame have arrived in Cotonou, Benin for a two-day State Visit, the Office of the President announced on Saturday, April 15. In Cotonou, Kagame is expected to hold a tête-à-tête with host President Patrice Talon, followed by bilateral discussions with respective delegations, before addressing a joint press conference at Le Palais de la Marina - Benin’s Presidency. The Head of State alongside First Lady Jeannette Kagame will tour the Esplanade de l’Amazone square, home to a majestic statue of a warrior woman, La Statue de l’Amazone - The Amazon Monument, which symbolizes the courage, bravery, and patriotism of Beninese women past and present. Kagame and the First Lady will also visit Les Jardins de Mathieu - Mathieu’s gardens, named after former Benin President Mathieu Kérékou, to pay tribute to fallen Beninese heroes including the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in the ongoing fight against terrorism. During his visit, Kagame will interact with 100 young entrepreneurs at Sèmè City, a flagship project by Benin dedicated to meeting the skills needs of young Africans through training, research, and innovation. Kagame’s visit to Benin comes at a time when Rwanda and Benin enjoy fruitful cooperation in the fields of ICT, trade, urban planning and land management, and previously signed a visa waiver agreement and a cooperation agreement in granite and marble exploitation. The visit will also see more agreements signed on double taxation avoidance, digitization, agriculture, local governance, sustainable development, and renewed agreements on trade and economic cooperation.
