Europe Day, celebrated annually on May 9, commemorates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, widely considered the foundation of the modern European Union. Proposed by then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in the aftermath of World War II, the declaration called for European countries to jointly manage coal and steel production, industries central to war-making at the time, in order to make future conflict between historic rivals “materially impossible.”
The declaration laid the foundation for what would later become the European Union, a bloc built around peace, economic cooperation, shared prosperity, and political integration. This year’s celebrations marked 76 years since the declaration and highlighted how those founding ideals continue to shape the EU’s partnerships around the world, including with Rwanda.
The event, hosted by Ambassador Belén Calvo Uyarra at her residence in Kigali, reflected on the expanding political, economic, and development cooperation between Rwanda and the European Union.
Addressing guests, the envoy described the Schuman Declaration as “a project for peace and shared prosperity,” noting that its founding principles remain relevant amid rising geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty.
“In a world of international disorder and coercive power politics, the EU stands strong for peace and prosperity, freedom and democracy, unity and diversity, partnerships and multilateralism,” she said.
The ambassador used the occasion, her final Europe Day celebration in Rwanda before the end of her diplomatic mission, to reflect on four years of EU-Rwanda cooperation, describing the partnership as one built on “continuous open dialogue, respect, consistency and trust.”
She pointed to major achievements under the partnership, including support for Rwanda’s ambition to become a regional hub for vaccine manufacturing, youth employment initiatives, climate-smart agriculture, innovation, and infrastructure investment through the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
According to the ambassador, Team Europe has invested more than €1 billion in Rwanda in recent years across sectors including health technology, smart cities, transport infrastructure, critical minerals, and environmental conservation.
“Global Gateway puts the private sector and investment at the heart of the partnership, aligning with Rwanda’s vision to shift from aid to trade,” she said.
She added that more than 300 European businesses are currently operating in Rwanda, with over €1.4 billion in new European investment recorded over the past four years. Rwanda’s exports to the European Union have also grown by 47 percent since 2019.
Among the flagship projects highlighted was the establishment of an ecosystem for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Rwanda, supported by European investment, including German biotechnology company BioNTech.
“What started during COVID as Rwanda’s ambitious vision to manufacture vaccines has become an attractive ecosystem for quality pharmaceutical investment,” the ambassador noted.
The celebrations also focused on regional peace and security, with the ambassador emphasising the EU’s support for diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring stability in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and dismantling the FDLR militia group, which was formed by individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
She welcomed ongoing peace initiatives, including the Doha Framework and African Union mediation efforts, while stressing the need for concrete progress on ceasefire implementation and regional trust-building.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, praised the EU for its continued support to Rwanda’s development agenda and described the partnership as increasingly dynamic and diversified.
“Europe Day offers us a valuable opportunity to celebrate the longstanding and dynamic partnership between Rwanda and the European Union,” he said.
Nduhungirehe commended the strengthened cooperation under the Global Gateway strategy and welcomed renewed investment worth €105 million to support Rwanda’s ambitions in vaccine manufacturing and medical innovation.
The vaccine-manufacturing project has been hailed as a major step towards ensuring equitable access to vaccines and strengthening Africa’s capacity to respond to future health emergencies.
Nduhungirehe also reflected on the security dimension of the EU–Rwanda partnership, describing it as a key pillar of bilateral cooperation alongside development and economic engagement.
“The EU has remained a trusted partner of Rwanda throughout our peacekeeping engagements and bilateral interventions around the continent. We hope to continue counting on your support as we get closer to achieving key priorities under the AU’s Silencing the Guns agenda and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” he added.
The minister also praised Ambassador Belén Calvo Uyarra for her contribution to strengthening political dialogue and expanding cooperation during her tenure in Kigali.
Beyond diplomacy and investment, the event celebrated growing people-to-people relations between Rwanda and Europe through education exchanges, arts, sports, entrepreneurship, and youth innovation initiatives.
The ambassador highlighted programmes such as Hanga Hubs and Aguka, developed in partnership with the Ministries of Youth and ICT as well as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which she said contributed to the creation of more than 100,000 jobs over the past two years.
She also announced the creation of a youth sounding board aimed at involving young people more directly in shaping EU policies and partnerships in Rwanda.
“Let us continue working together, uniting in our pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous tomorrow for Rwanda, Europe, Africa, and the world,” the ambassador said as she invoked the philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasises humanity, interconnectedness, and collective responsibility, focusing on compassion, respect, and community over individual isolation.
The colourful evening celebration featured performances by bands with a surprise appearance by Bruce Melodie, who has been working with the EU delegation on youth programmes.
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