UK envoy bids farewell to Kagame

KIGALI - The out-going British Ambassador to Rwanda, Jeremy Macadie on Friday evening paid a courtesy visit to bid farewell to President Paul Kagame after three years of diplomatic service in Rwanda. Foreign affairs minister Dr Charles Murigande said shortly after the meeting at the State House that the President was grateful that the envoy ensured a period of a cordial relationship as well as providing predictable and long-term assistance to Rwanda. He thanked him for the support and friendship that has been extended to Rwanda during his stay in the country since 2005. Citing enormous investments and tourism as major achievements, Murigande said it has been in Macadie’s term of office that Rwanda and UK entered into programs like English teaching and offering scholarships to Rwandans. On his part, Macadie said that he was glad to be leaving Rwanda after remarkable progress in building strong and good relations between the two countries. “During my time here, the President made an official visit to UK. Among other visits, the UK Minister for International Development, Shriti Vadera, and forty-three members of the Conservative Party led by their leader David Cameron visited Rwanda. This was good for our relations,” he said. He said that his country would continue to provide predictable funding to Rwanda to boast the progress made so far. Britain is currently Rwanda’s main bilateral partner with an annual programme of £46 million (approximately Frw50 billion) of which, two-thirds is provided as budget support. UK also provides targeted support for capacity building, with a focus on strategic planning, civil service reform and strengthening statistical capacity.Ends