Belgian ministers visit to assess devt projects

Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders, and his counterpart Alexander De Croo, of Development Cooperation, were expected in Kigali last evening in what officials said is a routine development cooperation assessment trip. In their two-day trip, the duo will tour country projects financed by the Belgian government and hold bilateral talks with several line ministers, according to Edmond Murenzi, a Programme Assistant at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Kigali. “It is part of the normal bilateral cooperation visits,” Murenzi said. During a similar trip last February, De Croo’s predecessor, Jean-Pascal Labille, visited Ndera Neuro-psychiatric Hospital to appraise his government’s contribution to national efforts to boost mental health facilities. Labille described as “remarkable” government efforts in dealing with mental problems despite challenges faced after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The 351-bed hospital was founded in 1968 by the Belgian Congregation of the Brothers of Charity. It receives support from the Belgian government and NGOs. Enforsa Rwanda Ltd, a subsidiary of a Belgian company active in international green and renewable energy sector, has installed a solar power plant expected to produce 0.5MW of electricity to serve the hospital. Other Belgian enterprises include Skol Brewery LTD (SBL), a local brewery established in 2010 and owned by Unibra, which operates in several African countries. Today’s visit was planned months before reports last month indicated that Belgium had decided to withhold Euro40 million in bilateral aid to Rwanda on grounds that the latter had not met some governance targets. Addressing a news briefing in Kigali last month, Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo said Belgium had every right to determine whether, when and how to disburse its aid but noted that the issue was blown out of proportion as the money in question was never part of the agreed bilateral support, since it was a bonus.

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Belgian ministers visit to assess devt projects