Rwanda, Rhineland-Palatinate explore new areas of partnership

The Minister for Local Government, Francis Kaboneka, has commended Rhineland-Palatinate for maintaining its partnership with Rwanda, disclosing that both parties are currently negotiating to include new areas of partnership. “They helped build schools, health and other projects that touch the lives of Rwandans,” he said. “Rwanda’s relationship with Rhineland-Palatinate has seen individual districts benefit directly from the latter’s support. We also share a strong cultural heritage that goes beyond colonial period,” Kaboneka said. He said Rwanda’s relationship with Rhineland-Palatinate spans over three decades and survived through the dark period during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. Since 1982, the state has injected about €70 million (Rwf61.5 billion) in several sectors in Rwanda, particularly in a “twinning” project, where ten of its districts are directly linked with ten districts in Rwanda. During this period, about 230 primary and secondary schools have benefited; five nursery schools, three universities, 49 municipalities, 58 associations and institutions and 17 parishes. The Ministry for Local Government, yesterday, hosted a 24-member delegation from the German state, which is here to assess projects they contribute to, among which, include technical and vocational campuses in Ruhango, Nyamagabe, Rulindo and Karongi districts. Minister Lewentz (2nd right) chats with the Executive Secretary of the National Youth Council, Alphonse Nkuranga (left), as Minister Kaboneka (right) and other members of the German delegation look on yesterday. (John Mbanda) “Between 2010 and 2014, we contributed to 159 projects spanning across education, public relations, vocational training, health, infrastructure, and sports. This is my eighth time in Rwanda and every time I visit the projects, I find progress,” Roger Lewentz, the head of the delegation and the Rhineland minister of Interior, Sports, Culture and Infrastructure, said in an interview yesterday. “We have pending projects such as a Declaration of Intent on people with disabilities, which we hope to sign with Rwanda on October 21, to benefit people with disabilities in areas like entrepreneurial and sports skills,” Lewentz said. Next on the agenda, he said, is to open trade ties for Rwanda’s private sector to tap into the German economy. This idea was kick started early this year when a delegation comprising representatives of trade and industry from Rwanda visited Rhine-Palatinate. “The German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will this November visit Rwanda with an economic delegation to promote trade partnership. Rwanda has wonderful tea, coffee and other products and I am quite sure there can be a market for that in Germany,” Lewentz said. Minister Lewentz last visited Rwanda in 2012, when he held bilateral talks with President Paul Kagame.

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Rwanda, Rhineland-Palatinate explore new areas of partnership