RWANDA: Nigeria's president Good Luck Jonathan visits Rwanda to discuss regional matters of security and trade

Record ID: 235352

  • Title: RWANDA: Nigeria's president Good Luck Jonathan visits Rwanda to discuss regional matters of security and trade
  • Date: 7th October 2011
  • Summary: KIGALI, RWANDA (OCTOBER 06, 2011) (REUTERS) NIGERIA'S PRESIDENT, GOODLUCK JONATHAN WALKING IN WITH RWANDA'S PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME DELEGATES FROM BOTH COUNTRIES LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF KAGAME AND JONATHAN SEATED DELEGATES KAGAME AND JONATHAN STAND UP FOR NEWS CONFERENCE KAGAME AND JONATHAN AT PODIUMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) RWANDA'S PRESIDENT, PAUL KAGAME SAYING: "We always come together and want to put our resources together to bear on these problem areas and try to find expected solutions. For example Rwanda works very closely with Nigeria on the question of Darfur in Sudan. We have been looking at ways of coming together again and putting our resources together to see what we can do in Somalia or different other places." JOURNALIST TAKING PICTURE JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA'S PRESIDENT, GOODLUCK JONATHAN SAYING: "The idea is that, we have challenges, but I also know that this is the decade that Africa gradually moves these challenges. Definitely we discussed Somalia and discussed the horn of Africa, conflicts issues even Eritrea and so on, so we discussed a number of things... how the countries will come together to see how we can suppress conflicts." VARIOUS OF DELEGATES JONATHAN AND KAGAME AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA'S PRESIDENT, GOODLUCK JONATHAN SAYING: "I am quite happy that we have Nigerians doing businesses in Rwanda, and we are encouraging Rwandans, of course some people who are there to even do more. We are talking about the... your Airline having the opportunity to fly into most of our cities and to encourage that level of interaction." NIGERIAN AND RWANDAN DELEGATES KAGAME AND JONATHAN LEAVE NEWS BRIEFING AREA
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Rwanda, Rwanda
  • Country: Rwanda
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6TZYSEM2DYO6OA2H2O02EQYOB
  • Story Text: Nigeria's President, Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Rwanda's capital, Kigali on Thursday (October 6th) on a two day official work visit to the central African nation.
    President Jonathan held bilateral talks with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame which included finding ways to bolster ties between the two countries.
    The leaders also discussed security matters in parts of the continent including troubled Somalia where years of unrest and an islamist militia led insurgency has destabilized the region.
    "We always come together and want to put our resources together to bear on these problem areas and try to find expected solutions. For example Rwanda works very closely with Nigeria on the question of Darfur in Sudan. We have been looking at ways of coming together again and putting our resources together to see what we can do in Somalia or different other places," said Rwandan President, Paul Kagame.
    On Tuesday (October 4th) al Qaeda-linked rebels struck at the heart of Mogadishu killing scores of people with a truck bomb in the group's most deadly attack in the country since launching an insurgency in 2007. Somalia is also in the grip of an ongoing famine affecting the horn of Africa.
    "The idea is that, we have challenges, but I also know that this is the decade that Africa gradually moves these challenges. Definitely we discussed Somalia and discussed the horn of Africa, conflicts issues even Eritrea and so on, so we discussed a number of things... how the countries will come together to see how we can suppress conflicts," said Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan.
    Rwanda and Nigeria enjoy good relations and early this year Rwanda opened a high commission office in Abuja.
    Nearly 40 Nigerian health specialists are also currently offering voluntary services in Rwanda under the Nigeria Technical Aid corps program.
    Kagame said it was important for both countries to work together and interact more in order to find investment opportunities and ways to grow their economies further.
    Rwanda's national carrier Rwandair also plans to start operations to Nigeria next year.
    "I am quite happy that we have Nigerians doing businesses in Rwanda, and we are encouraging Rwandans, of course some people who are there to even do more. We are talking about the... your Airline having the opportunity to fly into most of our cities and to encourage that level of interaction," said President Kagame.
    Rwandan and Nigerian Ministers of foreign Affairs are expected to hold further discussions on guidelines for comprehensive bilateral cooperation.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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