President Paul Kagame, currently on a working visit to the United States, on Monday joined top government and business leaders for the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, California.

The President was part of the panel that discussed the question, "Where does growth come from”, alongside former British prime minister Tony Blair and several top business executives.

Speaking on the first day of the three-day forum, Kagame highlighted the growth of intra-Africa trade and invited participants to invest in the continent. "Africa’s growth is in the long term. Investments in Africa is a situation with enormous potential. Both people and investors would benefit. The message is simple. Time is now, Africa is ready for investments in different areas.”

He also shared his personal experience during Rwanda’s liberation struggle.

"I was involved daily in combat and was never sure whether I would survive the next day. But we did what was humanely possible to make sure that we carry out the duty we had to do to win and establish a normal situation in Rwanda,” he told the more than 1000 participants.

Kagame also emphasised the need for increased partnerships between public and private sector. "Our challenges have opportunities. Africa has potential to provide 12 per cent of hydropower energy to the world but things will not work unless governments feel that it is their responsibility.  Government cannot sit back and expect private sector to provide energy. Government and private sector must work together to unlock our potential”.

President Kagame began the day with a private investors roundtable discussion, alongside Tony Blair, Seth Merrin as well as Mahendra Siregar, Chairman, the Investment Coordinating Board of the Republic of Indonesia and Luis Carlos Villegas, Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S.

The session focused on foreign direct investment in Rwanda, Indonesia and Colombia.

Participants exchanged strategies related to foreign direct investment, quality governance, the role of multinationals and supply chain management, the development and integration of capital markets, trade and financial regulation, and regional infrastructure development and financing.

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank and says it believes in the power of capital markets to solve urgent social and economic challenges and improve lives.