The Rwanda Business Expo’08 is scheduled for August 22-23, at the London Irish Centre in the United Kingdom. The event is being organised by the Rwanda Diaspora Investment (RDI), Rwandan Embassy in UK and the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA). This year’s theme is Expanding Market Opportunities for Rwanda.

Ignatius Mugabo, the RDI secretary, said in an email to Sunday Times that the expo is intended to show the world Rwanda’s products. He added that it will expose Rwandan products and services to the UK market, the Rwandan Diaspora as well as other communities in the UK.

"We are building on the interest generated by the first ever Rwanda Expo, which was held at the Royal Institute of British Architects in Central London last October,” Mugabo explained.

He stressed that RDI’s vision is to promote Rwanda as a business, investment and tourist destination and to promote Rwandan products in the UK and the rest of Europe. 

"We aim to ensure that Rwandans in Diasporas can access Rwandan products and services.”

The products and services under consideration include: foodstuff, textiles, flowers, handcrafts, banking and tourism.

He said: "Rwandans in Diaspora will continue to be engaged and informed of current opportunities in their motherland and encouraged to partake in her economic development.”

Francis Gatare, the director general of Riepa, in a telephone interview on Friday, explained that "The expo will highlight Rwanda’s investment potential and business opportunities as well as promoting export.”

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