Rwanda’s progress exemplary- EU

The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has commended the tremendous developments taking place in the country. He made the observation on Thursday after receiving letters of credence from Robert Masozera, Rwanda’s Ambassador to Belgium. According to a statement from the Embassy, Masozera presented his credentials to Barroso and his counterpart, Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council. “Rwanda’s remarkable progress in a short period of time is a good indicator of development and should serve as an example to other countries,” Barroso said. He also congratulated the country for its successful development strategy and the remarkable efforts made 17 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in the area of national unity and reconciliation. As a result of the country’s achievements, the President of the European Commission disclosed that an additional 30 million Euros in aid will be granted to Rwanda by the European Union (EU). Barroso also hailed Rwanda for the gender balance in the government and its institutions which he said, was an example for other countries and a good indicator of development. On his part, Van Rompuy praised Rwanda’s efforts in fast tracking the realisation of Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s). “These efforts have led to a significant reduction of poverty in Rwanda,” he noted. The 2011 MDG Progress news published by the United Nations puts Rwanda among a few African countries on track to achieve the MDG’s by 2015. Others are Ethiopia and Mozambique. frank.kanyesigye@newtimes.co.rw