{The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Reynders has said that Rwanda and his country share a lot in common including history on which both countries should base to build a better future.}
He made the observation during a press briefing yesterday he jointly held with his Rwandan counterpart Louise Mushikiwabo after exclusive talks between the two top diplomats.
Mushikiwabo has expressed delightfulness over receiving Belgian foreign affairs minister on bilateral talks, saying that Rwanda and Belgium share a long history—good and bad.
“Belgium is a partner of Rwanda. Both countries share great history which was sometimes not as good but Belgium is one of the development partners in this country for the last 20 years,” she said.
Reynders has said that both countries must base on shared commonalities for progress regardless of what went wrong in the past.
“It is of great value to symbolize together the past and look forward to the future as countries sharing many aspects in common,” he said.
Belgium is one of the countries that colonized Rwanda when German was defeated in the First World War; but also been accused to organize and execute 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
Minister Reynders has said that he is glad to come to Rwanda for talks on bilateral cooperation and see the situation in neighboring countries.
“It is a pleasure to come to Kigali. We have held talks on the region and I will return to Brussels in a meeting of opposition leaders to Democratic Republic of Congo, I will hold a meeting with neighbors in Burundi and the facilitator of East African Community in Burundi. Retired Tanzania president, Benjamin Mkapa will also come to Brussels to further explore ways of restoring peace in the region and preparing talks aimed at ending Burundi crisis,” he said.
Last year Rwanda and Belgian pledged to extend cooperation to business and investment. Reynders said that they are doing everything possible to realize the same .
Belgium has been supporting Rwanda in education sector, health and decentralization services.
By the end of 2015, Belgium had supported Rwanda with f Rwf 10.3 billion to support different activities including distribution of electricity supply to 6,873 households.
The support was an additional amount to Euro 55 million Belgium had extended to Rwanda in 2011 in the energy sector.
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