Paris, 23 May 2018
President Kagame today held bilateral talks with his French counterpart President Emmanuel Macron who received him at Palais de l’Élysée in Paris, France.
President Kagame is in France on a two-day working visit at the invitation of President Macron. The two heads of state engaged in a range of discussions on bilateral relations.
In a joint press conference, President Kagame pointed out that Rwanda and France must continue to play their roles in ensuring mutual benefits from their diplomatic ties.
“We must continue to play our respective roles in ensuring that this relationship is beneficial to both countries, and go even further to ensure that the interests of Africa as a whole are considered,” President Kagame said.
The President further stressed that Rwanda has never stopped being a member of la Francophonie, an international organisation of French-speaking countries.
“When asked to contribute and given the context of new times we are happy to participate by providing leaders like Mushikiwabo as long as this has the support of members,” President Kagame announced.
Prior to the bilateral talks, the two Heads of State met with around 60 business leaders from leading tech companies and discussed ways to nurture innovation and enterprise in Africa, especially amongst young people.
President Kagame will also be attending VivaTech, a tech event that brings together startups and leaders from around the world. This year up to 50 African startups, including Rwanda will showcase their solutions and work with global incubators and accelerators.
The two leaders have previously met in New York, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly as well as in New Delhi during the launch of the International Solar Alliance.
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