Rwanda important partner - US Envoy

President Barack Obama’s nominee for US Ambassador to Rwanda, Donald W. Koran, has told the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, that Rwanda is a key partner following its stunning recovery from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and remarkable development achievements, as well as the country’s significant contribution internationally, especially in peace-keeping operations. Koran was appearing before the committee, last week, prior to taking up his new posting. Rwanda has over the 3,000 peacekeepers in Darfur. The envoy noted that the country that was once known for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, has since changed dimension due to its rapid development as well as its commitment to offer support to other countries. “Rwanda is known by most Americans for the 1994 Genocide, which left the country and its people ravaged. I saw this legacy first-hand when I served there from 1999-2001,” he said. “Since then, Rwanda has made great strides in rebuilding the country ,as well as playing a positive role in the region and beyond,” he said. Koran told the US lawmakers that President Paul Kagame was among the strongest voices in the international community in supporting actions to prevent a massacre in Libya earlier this year. The new Ambassador added that the country has made remarkable progress in improving the living standards of its people primarily through education and infrastructural development. He further pointed at Rwanda’s favourable business climate, evidenced by the country’s dramatic improvement in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index. Koran, said that he plans to promote economic development in the country as well as opportunities for American trade and investment. Koran, who replaces career diplomat, Stuart Symington was nominated in April 2011. Ends

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Rwanda important partner - US Envoy