KIGALI - Rwanda’s progress has been commended by a delegation of the European Union (EU) was impressed by how the country has managed to bring about socio-economic development and improving the lives of its people.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday shortly after concluding a 3-day working visit to Rwanda to assess the effectiveness of EU aid, the Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation, Charles Michel, and the EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, said Rwanda is on the right track.

"Rwanda has definitely progressed in terms of development. It has progressed very well in terms of attaining the MDGs. Out of 8 MDGs, it is clear that Rwanda is well on the way to attaining 5 or 6 of them by 2015,” said Michel, who co-chairs the EU.

"Rwanda has also significantly progressed in the fight against corruption as shown by the World Bank international indicator ‘Doing Business’ which highlights Rwanda’s progress in the last two years,” he added

Piebalgs observed that the EU is focused on promoting sustainable development where progress does not impact negatively on the environment.

"We are sandwiched between achieving the Millennium Development Goals and fighting climate change, so what we are looking at is not only development, but sustainable development. That’s what we are trying much to address nowadays,” he said.

The two officials who visited bench terraces and coffee stations in Shyorongi and Rulindo as well as Mpazi Ravine in Kigali, said that it is important to ensure that mitigation and adaptation is done when carrying out programmes so that no damage is caused on the environment.

The officials said that after their visit, they will present a report to member states on how the new development projects function and how EU development aid is used.

During their visit, the two officials also visited the Mutobo Transit Camp, in Musanze, Northern Province, which is supported by the EU, as well as projects funded by Belgium at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK).

"In collaboration with our EU friends, we are convinced of the necessity to establish certain principles & policies, not only in terms of ‘declaration of intention’, but also in terms of concrete implementation of projects,”

"The idea is that the first responsibility of the development aid comes from the leadership which identifies the priorities as well as a sense of ownership. There should also be some responsibility on the part of the bilateral partners in observing these priorities as defined by the less developed country.” Michel said.

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