Kigali, 9 January 2015
President Kagame and First Lady today hosted the Diplomatic Corps to a New Year State Luncheon at Urugwiro Village gardens. In his remarks, President Kagame condoled with France after the loss of lives during a terror attack on Wednesday:
“We express our own and our country’s condolences to the Nation and families of those who lost their lives in Paris on Wednesday. Terrorists represent only themselves. To defeat terrorists, we must work to shatter the illusion that they speak for a larger group or community. Diplomacy and international cooperation are essential to develop the trust and consensus necessary to tackle them together. Our efforts must stem from recognition of our common humanity and values, which are shared equally across the world”
President Kagame paid tribute to the diplomats who represent various nations from around the world, for excellent cooperation during the past year, and said Rwandans expected even greater gains in 2015.
“We valued the opportunity to work closely with many of you during our tour of service on the UN Security Council. The matters addressed at UNSC affect us all. Rwanda will continue to be an engaged member of the international community. By listening more to each other and working more closely, we look forward to even greater gains in 2015. We must sustain the significant diplomatic progress we have made in developing consensus on the regional security agenda. It is encouraging to hear various actors speaking with the same voice because words do, occasionally, lead to action.”
In his address, the Dean of the Diplomatic corps, Ambassador Richard Kabonero said Rwanda stands for something, which he said is 8.5% growth, access to IT and universal health care, among other milestones.