President Kagame stresses need to mobilize domestic resources to mitigate effects of climate change

President Paul Kagame has emphasized the need to mobilize domestic resources to mitigate the effects of climate change. The Head of State made the call as he hosted his counterpart from Madagascar, President Andry Rajoelina, on Monday, August 7, 2023. Rajoelina was received at Urugwiro Village after attending a Rwanda-Madagascar Business Forum in Kigali.

In recent years, Kagame said, Rwanda and Madagascar have been hit by extreme weather events that affected livelihoods, damaged biodiversity, and infrastructure. Therefore, he underscored the significance of sharing expertise, learning from each other’s experiences, and mobilizing domestic resources.

"The evidence is clear that our continent is disproportionately impacted by climate change. We must do our part and mobilize domestic resources to mitigate the effects of climate change. That is how we build long-term resilience," he stated.

During their discussions, both heads of state emphasized the private sector’s importance in driving any country’s development ambitions.

On Monday, Rwanda and Madagascar signed a private sector cooperation agreement to boost economic development as part of the Rwanda-Madagascar Business Forum.

The agreement was signed by Jeanne-Françoise Mubiligi, the acting Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), and Guy Foka, President of the International Commission of Groupement des Entreprises de Madagascar (GEM).

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) also signed an implementation plan of a previous MoU from February 2019, aiming to facilitate investment flow between Rwanda and Madagascar through capacity building and professional skill enhancement.

President Kagame said that the visit, including the signing of a new agreement, will open more doors for partnership. He highlighted that Rwanda stands ready to explore opportunities in different sectors, including tourism, ICT, mining, and agriculture, for mutual benefits.

"For both our countries, trade and investment are important drivers of economic growth. A more connected Africa is undoubtedly a more prosperous Africa," noted Kagame.

Kagame last visited Madagascar in 2019. He thanked his counterpart for visiting Rwanda, adding that the previous visit to Madagascar left good memories. The President also reiterated Rwanda’s willingness to continue working with Madagascar.

On his part, Rajoelina, who arrived in Rwanda on Sunday evening for a three-day state visit, said that he had a long discussion with Kagame where they exchanged ideas for the future and want to keep exchanging best practices on how to transform both countries.

He saluted Kagame’s leadership that saw Rwanda becoming a model of development in Africa with significant progress in economic development after overcoming dark history.

"Rwanda has become a model, and you have demonstrated that all things are possible. You have bounced back and have experienced rapid growth. And we are following suit, that is why I have come here with a solid Malagasy team, consisting of ministers, MPs, and private sector representatives," he noted.

PM