The British Minister for International Development, Ivan Lewis is in the country on a State visit and is scheduled to meet with President Paul Kagame this Friday.

Serge Wiclef, an official with the DFID confirmed the visit yesterday.

Lewis who is touring the Great Lakes region is in the country for three days and on his agenda are plans to meet with several government officials and also visit different projects sponsored by the British Department for International Development (DFID).

According to Wiclef,, the British Minister Lewis has already toured Lake Kivu Methane Gas project and Pfunda Tea Factory in Rubavu district.

A press statement from DFID says that Lewis will also meet with several ministers including that of Finance and Economic Planning, James Musoni, Natural Resources Minister Stanislas Kamanzi, State Minister for Energy Albert Butare.

"He will also visit the land tenure reform pilot in Kirehe district and meet MINIRENA Officials to hear about progress in the land tenure reform programme,” reads the DFID statement.

The statement quotes Sandra Pepera, Head of DFID Rwanda as saying: "We are very pleased that Lewis will visit Rwanda barely two months into his tenure as Minster for International Development.  This will be his third overseas visit since taking up his post, and reflects the importance that we attach to the UK-Rwanda development partnership.”

She also adds that there is a lot going on in Rwanda that Lewis will be able to learn.

"We hope that he will leave with a positive view of Rwanda’s achievements, and get a clear understanding of the challenges that remain and how the UK and Rwanda are working together to overcome them.”  Pepera is quoted in the statement.

Prior to becoming Minister, Lewis held similar positions in the Departments for Health, Education, and at the Treasury in the UK.

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