Allow me to begin by welcoming His Excellency President Rajoelina on his first visit to Rwanda.

Mr President, we are honoured to host you, and your delegation, for these productive discussions.

Earlier, the President and I met one-on-one.

From our conversation, this visit, including the signing of the new agreement, will open more doors for partnership.

Rwanda stands ready to explore opportunities in different sectors, including tourism, ICT, mining, and agriculture, for mutual benefit.

We appreciate the presence of the Economic Development Board of Madagascar.

For both our countries, trade and investment are important drivers of economic growth.

A more connected Africa is undoubtedly a more prosperous Africa.

In recent years, Rwanda and Madagascar have been hit by extreme weather events.

This has affected livelihoods and damaged biodiversity and infrastructure.

We must share expertise and learn from each other’s experiences.

The evidence is clear that our continent is disproportionally impacted by climate change.

We must do our part and mobilize domestic resources to mitigate the effects of climate change. That is how we build long-term resilience.

Mr President, thank you for visiting Rwanda. We wanted to also let you know that we still have good memories of our last visit to your country in 2019 and I hope you are enjoying your stay with us.

I look forward to continuing working together with you.

May I now invite you, Mr President, to deliver your remarks. Again, most welcome.