President Kagame receives a present from YPO representative
President Paul Kagame has told 80 members of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) in a visit to Rwanda that he is no longer worried by the past and future of the country.
Memebers of YPO, a global network of business leaders with more than 26,000 members in more than130 countries have been in Rwanda for the past one week.
They were hosted by President Paul Kagame on Monday.
For the president, the country passed through dark history, but the future will be bright.
“We are convinced what we have had in our past is not what we deserve, what we deserve is in our future. We all go together and we don’t want to leave anyone behind that is more or less like a religion for us,” Kagame said.
“I am no longer worried about the past or the future, the sustainability of what we are building is what I spend my days and nights on. We have to keep thinking ahead, and sometimes acting ahead of the actual time you are in.”
The president also shared what it takes for the country to defy the past.
“We need to sustain the kind of politics, activities that ensure Rwandans value one another so we don’t go back to the history where one looks at a neighbour, a workmate as an enemy. There is no basis for that,” Kagame said.
The president had just returned home from the 11th extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa- Ethiopia.
AU institutional reforms were the only item on agenda.
“It is a great pleasure for us as Rwandans to be part of it and play our role, however little, trying to achieve results for everyone’s benefits. There is so much we can do as a continent and there is even more we can do with partnerships,” he said.
The president however shared his concern that Africa always tends to lower standards, and despite having plenty of resources, the continent at times asks to be given what it has.
“The question is what is missing to produce what we need, to take ourselves to the level where we need to be,” he said.
A communiqué from Presidency indicates that the YPO one week’s visit to Rwanda is themed “Journey to Rwanda – November 2018”.
The delegates hail from Belgium, USA, Monaco, Luxembourg, Lebanon, UK, Kenya and the Great Lakes YPO Chapter.
The intention is to learn the history of Rwanda, tour the country and to explore business and investment opportunities Rwanda has to offer.
During their stay in the country, the delegation had the opportunity to meet with young Rwandan graduates, young entrepreneurs and captains of industries with whom they discussed the business environment in Rwanda and East Africa.
The delegation also visited various tourist attractions in Rwanda, including Lake Kivu, Gorilla trekking and Nyungwe Forest National Park. They also visited Zipline Drone Aerodrome in Muhanga district.
