President Paul Kagame on Tuesday, April 26, received credentials from new Ambassadors from seven countries at Village Urugwiro, who expressed their appreciation and commitment to represent and serve their nations in Rwanda. The envoys include Daba Debele Hunde of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Hatem Landoulsi of the Republic of Tunisia, Dragoş Viorel Radu Ţigău of Romania and Zahra Ali Hassan of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Others are Tri Yogo Jatmiko of the Republic of Indonesia and Tania Pérez Xiqués of the Republic of Cuba, as well as new High Commissioner Amade Miquidade of the Republic of Mozambique. After presenting his letter of credence to president Kagame, Miquidade, said that this is an opportunity to serve his country in Rwanda, commending Rwanda’s support to Mozambique, especially in dealing with insecurity in the country. “I would also like to thank very much the people of Rwanda because of the great connection and great help they are providing to the people of Mozambique. Everyone knows that we are facing terrorist attacks in Mozambique. And the Rwandan authority has decided to go and help Mozambique with Mozambican defense force to combat terrorism,” he said. “And the situation now is much better and we can see people going back to their own environment where they were,” he noted. For him, Rwanda’s contribution to his country in combating terrorism should be lesson to other countries on how Africa can be able to solve its problems. “As Africans, we have to help each other. It’s like family; we need to help each other to make the family comfortable in all situations which can appear. That’s why we see that the approach between Rwanda and Mozambique is a lesson for the continent and for the whole world that with a very good relationship, the countries can grow together,” Miquidade said. Tri Yogo Jatmiko of the Republic of Indonesia said that he is committed to the recovery of economic cooperation between Rwanda and Indonesia, indicating that the Covid-19 pandemic negatively affected the trade between the two countries, as it plunged from $18 million in 2018 to only less than $1 million last year (in 2021). “I conferred to the President that as an Indonesian Ambassador to Rwanda, I have a strong commitment to promote and strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Rwanda for the mutual benefits of the two countries and peoples,” he said. “And, I also expressed that with easing pandemic measures, I will closely collaborate with relevant officials of the Government of Rwanda as well as stakeholders here, to bring back our economic and trade cooperation to the pre-pandemic level and higher,” he added. Indonesia exports to Rwanda are mainly palm crude oil, cooking oil, electronics and battery among other products; and imports from Rwanda are mostly agricultural products, and some minerals. There are currently 11 Rwandan students studying in the country, with other 45 who graduated from the country, thanks to the scholarship from the Indonesian government. Jatmiko expressed appreciation to the President and the Government of Rwanda for the assistance extended to fellow Indonesian citizens residing in the country. Xiqués of Cuba said that her big commitment is to work to achieve bilateral cooperation projects by the mutual benefits according to the principles of the South-South cooperation and the high level of the political relationship between Cuba and Rwanda Cuba and Rwanda established diplomatic relations in May 1979.
