The Prime Minister met Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame this morning, in his first engagement in Kigali ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
He congratulated President Kagame on Rwanda’s extraordinary social and economic development in just a few decades, noting how pleased he was to be in the beautiful city of Kigali.
The Prime Minister welcomed Rwanda’s moral stance on the war in Ukraine and the leaders discussed ways to address the international fallout from Putin’s invasion – including sharply rising global food prices, which are hitting African countries the hardest.
The leaders also praised the successful UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, which is tackling dangerous smuggling gangs while offering people a chance to build a new life in a safe country.
As the UK hands over the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to Rwanda, the Prime Minister said he hopes CHOGM is a great success. The Prime Minister and President Kagame agreed that the Commonwealth is a unique forum to address pressing global challenges and that the Summit should be a demonstration of unity and progress.