Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, has said that Rwanda has great resolve, ingenuity and resilience especially in how the country managed the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a post made on his Facebook page upon returning home, Loong re-emphasised his commitment to more exchanges between his country and Rwanda that are directed to deepening relations between the two countries and peoples.

The Premier was in Rwanda to attend the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ( CHOGM) and stayed for two more days for a state visit.

"Like Singapore, Rwanda is a small state that has shown great resolve, ingenuity and resilience, most recently in managing the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in his post.

"Although Singapore and Rwanda are on different continents, we have much in common. I look forward to more exchanges between our countries, and further deepening bilateral relations,” he added.

Meanwhile, during a joint press conference with President Kagame on Monday June 27, Loong announced a three-year Singapore-Africa Partnership (SCP) Package that well see African government officials acquire training on emerging issues like smart cities, climate change, sustainability and digitalisation. 

The new initiative to meant to enhance Singapore’s technical assistance to the continent.

"We will also offer postgraduate scholarships for senior African officials in Singaporean universities. I am particularly glad to be able to announce the launch of this technical cooperation package in Rwanda. Rwandan officials have actively participated in SCP courses over the years. And we look forward to Rwanda’s and Africa’s continued participation in the SCP,” said the Prime Minister.

He noted that, in the last 30 years, the SCP has been well received by officials from African countries, and more than 12,000 of them, including many from Rwanda, have attended its courses.

Speaking about the cooperation between the two countries, Loong said that; "Despite the challenges of Covid-19, our two countries continue to cooperate actively. Our people-to-people ties have remained strong. Leaders and officials have kept up the tempo of engagements.

"Both the President and I are committed to advancing our bilateral partnership. We have established good collaboration, including making new initiatives in the digital economy, fintech and even judicial cooperation.”

Rwanda and Singapore also have strong collaboration on the multilateral front, and Loong highlighted how both are members of the Forum of Small States at the United Nations and how they work closely to advance the interests of small states and strengthen the multilateral system.