Rwanda will open a diplomatic mission in Hungary
Hungary is a gateway to the European Union, and Rwanda is a gateway to the Continent of Africa – said President Katalin Novák on Sunday, following her meeting with President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame.
Katalin Novák emphasized: this is the first visit to Rwanda by a President of Hungary, so the visit may prove to be a milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries. The Head of State pointed out that Rwanda and Hungary are also setting a good example in how to cooperate on the basis of mutual respect, and welcomed President Kagame’s announcement, according to which as a result of their meeting, Rwanda will open a diplomatic mission in Hungary.
Katalin Novák also said that their meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the importance of peace, and that the three documents they have signed may also contribute to the cooperation between the two countries in the future.
The participants signed agreements on the prolongation of the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme, on Hungarian-Rwandan education, and a financing agreement on a water industry project to be implemented in the context of an aid loan programme worth 52 million USD (over 18 billion HUF).
Speaking about the scholarships, Katalin Novák explained: there is a great demand for this high quality education and thanks to the agreements signed today, Hungary will be able to offer scholarships to 60 selected Rwandan students over the next three years. She recalled that she had the opportunity to visit the school in Nyanza and see first-hand how Hungary contributes to the daily lives of the students.
Additionally, she brought up the Hungary Helps Programme. She emphasized that Hungary contributes to humanitarian programmes all over the world, and that since 2017, we have already provided humanitarian assistance 300 times in 54 countries, worth more than 100 million USD. Katalin Novák stressed: The way Hungary would like to contribute to development is by asking what recipients need.
The President of Hungary spoke about the migration afflicting Europe, which in her opinion can be halted by providing assistance locally. This is what Hungary Helps is also about.
She added: economic cooperation between the two countries is stronger than ever, but there is still untapped potential. She said she hoped that economic cooperation will also contribute to mutual friendship.
Katalin Novák expressed her thanks for the invitation to the Women Deliver 2023 conference, and invited President Paul Kagame to the Demographic Summit in Budapest in September.
Katalin Novák will lay a wreath at the memorial site for the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, followed by a meeting with Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, Archbishop of Kigali.