BY EDWIN MUSONI Six ambassadors accredited to Rwanda yesterday presented their credentials to President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro. Speaking to The New Times shortly after the presentation, the Ambassadors from Cuba, South Korea, Argentina, Morocco, Ethiopia and Brazil all promised to build a strong bond between their countries and Rwanda. The envoys include Mariano Manrique, the Cuban Ambassador designate to Rwanda with residence in Kampala, Uganda; Kim Young-jun, South Korean Ambassador to Rwanda residing in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Daniel Chumburu, Ambassador designate of Argentina to Rwanda with residence in Nairobi. Others are Abdeljebber Brahime, Moroccan ambassador to Rwanda residing in Addis Ababa; Terfa Megasha, Ethiopia Ambassador to Rwanda residing in Kampala, Uganda; and Antonio Jose Rezendo Brazilian Ambassador to Rwanda residing in Nairobi Kenya. “The President’s response was quite positive. Cuba and Rwanda have historical ties. I intend to focus more on improving the health sector, sports and have intercultural interaction. I will also try to deepen this relationship during my stay here,” Manrique of Cuba said. He added that currently there are 37 Cuban doctors working in Rwanda and that the two countries (Rwanda and Cuba) enjoy cooperation in the health sector, and promised to explore other areas of cooperation. “We have been currently carrying out a feasibility study at Nyabarongo River and we are yet to establish more areas of focus to strengthen out bilateral relations,” Young-jun of South Korea said. The incoming Argentinean Ambassador Chumburu said that he would emphasise developing cooperation. “I will work closely with all Rwandan cabinet ministers to identity key areas of focus that we can dwell on in building stronger relations.” He added that South-South cooperation is very essential to developing relations and that he would emphasise upgrading trade relations. Currently the relations between the two countries are limited to political cooperation. “We will debate and see where to focus in improving relations” said Brahime from Morocco. The Ethiopian Ambassador to Rwanda, Megasha, said that his country’s agricultural sector is highly developed and that he would look for possible ways of importing the technology to Rwanda. “I am also looking at the educational sector as a key during my service as the Ethiopian Ambassador to Rwanda,” said Megasha. He added that he also intends to contribute to poverty eradication; “Poverty has also resulted into conflicts and in this case we all have to cooperate in finding a solution.” Brazilian Rezendo said that his country has a strong historical heritage in Africa, and that he feels proud to represent Brazil in Rwanda. “My President Mr Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has adopted a policy of emphasising development in Africa especially in technical cooperation,” he said. He also added that he had presented a draft plan to President Kagame highlighting some of the key areas of technical cooperation that would be dwelt on. “Kagame has promised me that he is going to give me an immediate response to the document.” Rezendo also said that among the key areas to development includes the sports.
