FOREIGN -The regional director for the UK Department for International Development, (DFID), Dave Fish, yesterday held talks with President Paul Kagame on the security status in the region as part of efforts to enhance development in the region.

Fish who is DFID director for East and Central Africa said that his talk with President Kagame included the current situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.

"Our major focus is development but the issue of security cannot be neglected because there would be no development when there is insecurity,” Fish told journalists after the meeting at Village Urugwiro.

Through DFID, the United Kingdom signed an agreement with the Rwandan government to donate £460 million (approx. Frw500bn) for a period of ten years.

The State Minister for Cooperation, Rosemary Museminari, said the President and Fish discussed ways of how Rwandans can be equipped to sustain themselves.

"They discussed various ways on how people can stop depending solely on aid. Such ways include trade and investment promotion,” Museminari said.

Asked about the British view on how Rwanda uses the aid, Fish said that it was being put to good use and the population is directly benefiting.

"Otherwise we would not have chosen to put the money directly to the budget if we were not satisfied that the money was being put to good use,” he said.

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