Luxembourg, Rwanda Sign Development Cooperation MoUs, Launch New Projects

Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade has reported that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel paid a working visit to Rwanda from Tuesday 18 to Wednesday 19 June 2024.

The trip, aimed at deepening cooperation relations with Rwanda, was notably an opportunity for Minister Bettel to meet political leaders, sign new agreements with the Rwandan government and launch new projects supported by Luxembourg.

In Kigali, Minister Bettel was received for a bilateral exchange by the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. The discussions focused on bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Rwanda, current international issues as well as the situation in the Great Lakes region. On this occasion, Minister Bettel called for continuing all necessary efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.

Minister Bettel also had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda, at the end of which the ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), providing for the strengthening of the partnership between Luxembourg and Rwanda in the field of development cooperation. The MoU further specifies the priority sectors of cooperation, which are education, professional training and integration, climate resilience, adaptation and environmental sustainability as well as inclusive and innovative finance. Gender equality, good governance and human rights as well as digitalisation are integrated as cross-cutting priorities.

"The signing of this MoU marks an important step in our partnership with Rwanda which allows us to further deepen our relations in the field of development cooperation. With five projects already launched, we have made considerable progress in our collaboration in just a few years. The agreement signed today demonstrates our desire to continue to support Rwanda in its development trajectory for the benefit of its entire population," noted Minister Bettel.

Minister Bettel then also met Yusuf Murangwa, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda, with whom he signed an MoU on a new cooperation project entitled "Sustainable Forestry and Efficient Renewable Energy for Improved Livelihood". In response to the high demand for fuelwood in Rwanda, the objective of this project will be to improve the livelihoods of communities in targeted provinces. It will thus aim to increase the production of sustainable biomass for the production of ecological fuels, by introducing improved stoves and strengthening agroforestry value chains in order to diversify the beneficiaries' sources of income.

The visit to Rwanda was also an opportunity for Minister Bettel to launch several projects supported by the Grand Duchy. In the presence of Minister Murangwa, Xavier Bettel attended the official launch of the project "Support for the development of the Kigali International Finance Centre", which aims to transfer skills and know-how between Luxembourg and Rwanda in the training of a hand of qualified work, in the development of sustainable finance, in the creation of a pipeline of bankable projects and in fintech. A second project officially launched by Minister Bettel is the "Digital Skills" programme, which aims to strengthen the provision of online learning in vocational and technical training in Rwanda. As part of this launch, the minister visited the campus of a school benefiting from the project.

On behalf of Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, and in the presence of the Rwandan Minister of the Environment, Valentine Umwamariya, Minister Bettel also inaugurated certain waste processing and sorting equipment in as part of the project "Waste to Resources: Improving Municipal Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management in Rwanda" financed by the Luxembourg Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity through its envelope dedicated to international climate financing and implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute.

Minister Bettel also visited two projects of the non-governmental organisation Handicap International Luxembourg in the Gicumbi district, namely the early childhood development centre and rehabilitation services at Byumba hospital. Co-financed by the Luxembourg Cooperation, the NGO's activities aim to improve the early detection of disabilities, invest in rehabilitation and promote inclusive education for children.

Finally, in Kigali, Minister Bettel also had a working breakfast with the ambassadors of the European Union, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.