Tokyo, 8 January 2019
 
President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame are in Tokyo, Japan for a two-day Official Visit.
 
On the first day of their visit, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame paid a courtesy call to their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan; held bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and First Lady Akie Abe; and attended a dinner hosted in their honor.
 
The two countries also signed a grant agreement worth $ 29,450,324 on strengthening Nzove-Ntora Principal Water Transmission Pipeline in Kigali City.
 
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Prime Minister Abe, President Kagame reiterated that Rwanda appreciated the friendship and cooperation that Rwanda enjoys with Japan.
 
“Our visit is an opportunity to learn more from each other, and further strengthen our strong bilateral ties, development cooperation and increase trade and investment between Rwanda and Japan. In this respect, I am accompanied by a delegation of business people from Rwanda,” President Kagame said.
 
Rwanda and Japan share excellent and longstanding bilateral relations with ties that span economic, trade and investments, technical assistance, and capacity building areas.
 
The Head of State further highlighted that Japan is also a good partner for Africa, and the continent’s leaders look forward to deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation in many areas during the upcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama.
 
Rwanda and Japan cooperate in energy, water and sanitation, agriculture, as well as education and transport. Japan’s interventions are through; non-project grant aid, technical support, programme approach, and loans. Japanese investments in Rwanda are mainly in agro-processing, hospitality, horticulture, mining, ICT and service sectors. Currently, 24 Japanese companies are doing business in Rwanda.
 
On the second day of the visit, President Kagame will address a Japan-Rwanda Business Forum and interact with the Japan-AU/Japan-Rwanda Parliamentary Friendship Leagues.