(MENAFNEditorial) BRUSSELS Kingdom of Belgium January 8 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- On Thursday 8 January in Kigali Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo agreed with the Rwandan authorities to establish a permanent political dialogue to strengthen bilateral relations and to build a mature and stable friendship. Such a permanent dialogue will make better consultations possible on issues such as the political space the role of civil society freedom of expression and pluralism.
The ministers also agreed to promote the development of economic relations and investments. The Belgian know-how in the fields of energy water purification waste treatment biotechnology and the digital agenda are in line with the development priorities of the Rwandan authorities.
Rwanda has made real progress in sectors such as health and the fight against poverty which give the country the best chances of achieving the objectives set by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the field of infant and maternal mortality. This encourages Belgium to continue to cooperate with Rwanda in the three focus areas: energy health and decentralisation.
This first visit of a foreign delegation to Rwanda in 2015 was also an opportunity to discuss the regional situation especially the implementation of the framework agreement of Addis Ababa signed in February 2013 by eleven African countries under the aegis of the UN in an attempt to pacify the eastern DRC plagued by decades of conflict. Rwanda has fulfilled its commitments in this regard. Agreed deadlines having elapsed Belgium calls on the government of the DRC and MONUSCO including the Force Intervention Brigade for decisive action to disarm the FDLR.
This joint visit of the two Belgian Deputy Prime Ministers demonstrates the integration of socio-economic governance and human rights issues in the foreign policy of Belgium.
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