KIGALI - President Paul Kagame yesterday arrived back in Kigali after a two-week visit to Germany, the US and the UK. The Head of State first began with a state visit to Germany where he held talks with the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Koehler and the Chancellor, Angela Merkel; German parliamentarians, and other public and private sector officials. The President also addressed the business community at a dinner hosted by Altira and the German Business Community where he called for more investments in Africa and Rwanda in particular.

The President then went across the Altantic, to Washington  DC where he gave a keynote speech at the Summit of Higher Education hosted by the State Department.

Addressing leaders from academia, government, business and foundations from the United States and around the world, President Kagame said that despite having an indisputable and fundamental role in socioeconomic transformation, higher education is not always accorded its due importance.

The last leg was the United Kingdom, where he and Ghana’s President John Kufuor were invited to address the Business Call for Action meeting, an event that sought to bring on board big business in helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

At the meeting, both presidents received accolades from British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, calling them "leaders of a new wave of successful, reforming African countries” who were "changing Africa for the better.” The event was hosted by both the UNDP and UK Department for International Development (DFID).

Kagame also addressed the DFID Speakers’ Series hosted by the DFID Secretary of State, Douglas Alexander.

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