Charlevoix, 9 June 2018
President Kagame today attended the G7 “Outreach Session”. The segment is part of the two-day G7 Summit which runs from 8-9 June in Québec, Canada.
The Summit brings together leaders and policymakers from the most advanced economies including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, to build consensus and set trends around challenging global issues.
As is the custom, the host country invites a select few non-G7 world leaders to what is referred to as ‘the Outreach Session’ where more common issues of concern are discussed.
The outreach theme this year focuses on how to build healthy, productive and resilient oceans, coasts, and communities. Speaking about this theme, President Kagame noted that no country on Earth is unaffected by climate change, and called on leaders worldwide to be bold and practical as the challenge faced has proven to be daunting.
“Old technologies brought us climate change, but new innovations are what will mitigate it, and in time, even reverse the damage. Ideas that sound like scientific fiction today may actually be more feasible and affordable than we realize. Less than three years ago in Paris, 190 nations made a firm commitment to stop the increase in global temperatures. Today, the G7, together with partners gathered here and elsewhere, has the opportunity, and indeed the obligation, to translate this political will into concrete action, before it is too late,” President Kagame said.
Outreach Leaders invited to Canada include Rwanda as the Chair of the African Union, South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Seychelles, Haiti, Jamaica, Argentina, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Norway. Leaders of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have also been invited.
Yesterday, President Kagame attended a reception hosted by the Premier of Quebec, Philippe Couillard and a dinner held by Canadian Governor General, Julie Payette.