Kigali, 22 February 2018

Today, President Kagame held bilateral talks with Zambian President Edgar Lungu who arrived in Rwanda yesterday for a two-day State Visit.

The two Heads of State reviewed the bilateral relations, and discussed issues of mutual interest.

In a joint press conference that concluded President Lungu’s visit to Rwanda, President Kagame reiterated his commitment to do whatever is humanly possible together with his African peers to bring progress and development across the continent.

“We are behind as a continent and it is a shame in a sense that Africa has everything it needs to be where we want to be but we are still far from achieving that in many areas,” President Kagame said.

Speaking about the Rwanda-Zambia cooperation in enforcing the cessation clause for Rwandan refugees, President Kagame pointed out that the whole idea is to avoid having permanent refugees:

“We can’t keep producing and having refugees as an end in itself. Rwanda has been in discussions with different countries and partners and as long as the environment allows for this discussion to be properly managed, the refugee situation will get better with time.”

During this State Visit, both Heads of State witnessed the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding between the two countries:

  • MoU on Political Consultations
  • MoU on Investment
  • MoU on Science, Technology and Innovation
  • MoU between Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF) and Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI)