President Paul Kagame has said that capitalising on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is now operational, to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs is essential for the continents sustainable development. He made the case while portraying the need to identify new areas of cooperation between Rwanda and Egypt, according to the Presidency. Kagame added that it is critical to get both economies back on track and strengthen the resilience against future shocks. “Covid-19 pandemic has reminded us that we are inter-connected, more than ever before and that no country can tackle global crises alone,” he said. The President made the address on March 26, during his official visit to Cairo, Egypt as he and his counterpart, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi presided over the signing of bilateral agreements in sectors of ICT, museums, youth, sports and training of diplomats. The signing was done by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Vincent Biruta and his counterpart Sameh Hassan Shoukry. Commenting on the agreements, Kagame said they will build on Rwanda and Egypt’s long-standing and mutually-beneficial relations, across a range of sectors. The two Heads of States held tête-à-tête discussions before being joined by members of their delegations for a bilateral meeting. Rwanda and Egypt have enjoyed bilateral ties touching areas such as trade, defence and security cooperation, and joint investments, among others. Rwanda has been sending some students to Egypt for military courses. Kagame’s visit to Egypt comes only two days after his attendance in the Aqaba Process Meeting on East Africa which took place in Aqaba, Jordan on March 24.
