Kagame arrived in Djibouti Thursday at the invitation of his Djiboutian counterpart President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
The newly completed industrial area is Djibouti’s pilot free trade zone. It will provide comprehensive solutions to companies operating in the services, trade and manufacturing industries and is set to attract businesses from across the African continent and the world.
The area, which will span over a total 48 square meters after expansion, is one of the largest free trade zones in Africa and will welcome other industries such as the automotive industry and home electrical industries.
At the event Kagame said he is optimistic that the facility will not only serve Djibouti, but the whole continent.
“I just wanted to say how happy I am to be joining you Mr President and our brothers and leaders from this region for the inauguration of this very important facility that will not only serve Djibouti but also the wider region of our continent,” he said.
“We are behind you in the realisation of this project and I am sure it will serve us all, even as far south as Rwanda and beyond,” Kagame added.
The Djiboutian Free Trade Zone will benefit the whole continent, under the auspice of the African Union, 49 African nations – including Djibouti recently signed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a trade agreement aimed to create a single market for African countries.
Rwanda and Djibouti enjoy strong bilateral ties in several key areas including; air transport, trade and investment, and ICT.
The two countries also partner to advance regional integration. In 2013, Djibouti offered Rwanda a 20-hectare piece of land at the port of Djibouti, and the latter was in reciprocity offered a plot of land in the Kigali Special Economic Zone.
Leave a Reply