Africa Tour: Rwanda Indians laud Narendra Modi's visit

NEW DELHI: The Indian community in Rwanda, estimated at around 3000, is delighted with the visit of Narendra Modi to their country, the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister.

During his interaction with the community leaders in Kigali Monday evening and Tuesday morning before leaving for Kampala, Uganda, Modi invited them to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas next year as well as other business and cultural events in India.

“On behalf of Indian community, I would like to convey our sincere thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting Rwanda and giving us this wonderful opportunity, it is indeed a great milestone between these two countries for further strengthening the bilateral relations, trade partnership and socio-economic exchange , we were honored to have listened his kind words and received the personal invitation for Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, along with other occasions well packaged by our PM himself,” Mukesh Sahu, Chairman - Indian Community in Rwanda (INAR), told The New Indian Express.

"It's a great honour for Indians in Rwanda to receive Narendra Modi ji in Kigali,” concurred INAR Vice-chairman Srinath Vardhineni. “His visit will certainly help Indians in Rwanda and enhance our bilateral relationship with Rwanda. The opening of the Indian High Commission in Rwanda is another milestone in foreign policy of the government of Mr Modi to make India a global power," he said.

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Apart from the community in Rwanda, several Indians from the neighbouring states of Democratic Republic Of Congo and Burundi had also come to Kigali to interact with Modi, who visited the Gizozi Genocide memorial centre and Rweru Model Village, where he formally gifted 200 cows to support President Paul Kagame’s ‘Girinka programme’, a social protection scheme of ‘one cow-one family’ to uplift the people from poverty and to bring about brotherhood and solidarity.

Wonderful interaction with the Indian diaspora in Rwanda.

In every part of the part of the world, the Indian diaspora is distinguishing itself and making us proud of their accomplishments.

Rwanda’s Indian community is a very positive influence on the India-Rwanda friendship. pic.twitter.com/6b2wd1eEQ0

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2018

He then addressed a business event jointly organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) before leaving for Entebbe airport in Kampala, Uganda, where after a ceremonial reception, he held a one-on-one meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Musevani followed by delegation level talks and the signing several agreements. He is expected to address the Ugandan parliament on Wednesday before he leaves for South Africa to attend the BRICS Summit.