Belen Calvo Uyarra, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Rwanda, has said that the bloc is committed to supporting Rwanda realise its ambition of becoming an upper middle income country by 2035, in line with economic growth and prosperity. She made the observations on Wednesday, in Kigali, while speaking to journalists after paying a courtesy call on the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Donatille Mukabalisa. Uyarra said that their meeting was a great opportunity to review the very strong partnership between the European Union and Rwanda, and to engage on the key priorities of this partnership and the EU support to Rwanda’s transformation agenda, and the EU support to Rwanda of becoming an upper middle income country by 2035. According to data from the International Monetary Fund, Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is $912.74 (about Rwf970,000) per year, as of 2022. Under its Vision 2050, Rwanda aspires to become an upper-middle income country by 2035, and a high- income country (HIC) by 2050, which means realising a GDP per capita of over $4,036 by 2035 (which is more than four times the current average income for a Rwandan); and over $12,476 by 2050. In the human development index under its Vision 2050, Rwanda seeks to achieve objectives including universal access to high quality health care, universal access to high quality education, and transformed workforce for higher productivity. “We are working closely with the Government of Rwanda, and we will support their vision 2050; we are working mainly on the education, and support the youth to get fit for the digital age,” she said, adding that the EU will also offer interventions for inclusive and productive agriculture. “The European Union fits into Rwanda’s national transformational agenda. We support the Government's endeavours in that regard. So, in that sense, we are working on areas including education, agriculture, and different health aspects. And that’s our contribution to the national strategy for transformation in that regard,” she said, referring to interventions including good governance, job creation and entrepreneurship. Speaker Mukabalisa said “we are happy with the good relations between the European Union and Rwanda, and we expressed commitment to further the relations between the two parties.” “We thank them for the support they provide to us in agriculture, education, energy, health, and many sectors that contribute to the growth of our country’s economy,” she said, also commending the EU’s contribution to the Parliament in terms of building its oversight capacity and citizen-centred legislation. “The continued partnership, the support to our country in sectors that have a role in growing our country’s economy, should be encouraged,” she observed.
