Ambassador's speech

July 4, 2008, Ambassador Arietti’s Speech

Distinguished guests,

This is the third time that I have had the privilege of hosting America’s official Independence Day celebrations in Rwanda, but it the first time that we are holding this celebration at our wonderful new Embassy.

I take great pleasure in noting that the relationship between the United States and Rwanda has grown significantly over the past three years and I would like to take note of several key developments.
We were very pleased to have been able to host the visit of President and Mrs. Bush to Rwanda in February of this year.  President Kagame later visited the United States and was the keynote speaker at the Higher Education Summit for Global Development, held at the State Department in Washington.

But these and other visits,  however important they have been, are only the tip of the iceberg of what our two countries have been able to achieve by working together.

The United States has been a leading partner of Rwanda in strengthening its health sector and we have achieved much.

The infection rate of HIV/Aids is declining and today it is about 3%.  Over the past three years the number of Rwandans receiving anti-retroviral medication has increased from around 10,000 to over 50,000.

Improvements in the health sector, especially for malaria, have reduced deaths for children under 5 by over 30 %.  While much more remains to be done,  I believe both our countries should be very proud of what has been achieved.

Improving the environment for international investment in Rwanda has been a key priority and we have been pleased to work with the World Bank and others in identifying ways to improve Rwanda’s Doing Business indicators.  This will lead to a dramatic growth in economic cooperation. 

In February, our two countries signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty which will also encourage private sector activity in Rwanda.  Today we continue to see growth in Rwandan exports of coffee and handicrafts to the United States. 

And there are American companies that are looking at significant investments in the energy sector, especially extraction of methane gas from Lake Kivu.  Other investors are looking at opportunities in agro-business, such as dairy and bamboo, and also at assembling and distributing all-terrain utility vehicles.  Other potential projects include extension of a railway line to Rwanda, and several projects to strengthen the telecommunications sector. 
We have also assisted in the plans for extension of an oil pipeline to Kigali.

Continued growth of foreign investment in Rwanda is critical to creating new jobs and helping the people of Rwanda improve their living standards and achieve the Vision 2020 goals of a dramatic growth in per capita income.

At the same time, we are seeing a dramatic growth in people-to-people contacts. 

I cannot count the number of meetings I have had with Americans who have come to Rwanda to explore how they,  as individuals,  or as members of NGO’s or church groups,  can expand contacts with ordinary Rwandans and contribute to the growth of Rwandan society.
In this regard,  I am also very pleased that the Peace Corps is restarting a program in Rwanda and we hope that the first group of volunteers,  who will work in the health and education sectors,  will arrive later this year or early next year.

Strengthening Rwanda’s democracy and improving governance is another area where I believe much has been accomplished over the past three years.

We are on the verge of concluding a Millennium Challenge Threshold program which will provide significant funding to strengthen the capacity of civil society to advocate for its positions and also encourage government, at local levels, to welcome and listen to civil society as an important voice in a democracy.

Our program will also provide additional in-service training to help strengthen the judicial sector, improve professionalism of the press, improve internal oversight of the police, and help Parliament to perform its responsibilities of drafting new legislation and reviewing government actions.  I believe that we have also achieved much in promoting improved security among the countries of the Great Lakes.

The Tripartite Plus process continues to promote regional security.

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year signed the Nairobi Agreement which aims at ending the threat posed by the remnants of the FDLR, ex-FAR and Interahamwe.

There is today a more active international effort to address this problem.

I hope that in the near future we will see an end to the presence of these obsolete groups based in the Kivus which have refused to play a positive role in rebuilding Rwanda after the tragedy of 1994.

At the same time, the Goma Accords have opened a path for the peoples of the Kivus to resolve their internal problems.

Looking further abroad, while many problems remain, much has been achieved in addressing the Darfur crisis.

I note that Rwanda has four full battalions of peacekeeping troops on the ground who have been widely praised for their effectiveness and professionalism.

Today we have a strengthened international effort by the United Nations and the African Union to bring peace to this troubled region.

The United States has played a major role in helping Rwanda to build its peacekeeping capacity, both through providing training to individual battalions and provision of military equipment for the troops.

These are but a few of the important milestones achieved over the past three years, but I think they testify to the fact that the bilateral relationship between the United States and Rwanda is strong and growing.

As most of you know I will be departing Rwanda later this month at the end of my assignment here.

It has been a great privilege to represent the people of the United States of America in Rwanda.

I would like, on a personal basis, to express my appreciation to the Foreign Minister and to all of her government colleagues, as well as to all of you here this evening for all of the help and cooperation I have received.

I have often been asked over the past few years how I have seen this assignment.  My answer has always been the same.  More than any other place where I have served, Rwanda today is a country of hope.

There is a spirit of positive change and of a commitment to overcome the past and look forward to the future.

This spirit of optimism and belief in the future is also a key element of American society and thus I have felt at home here and I leave with a sense of accomplishment and faith that Rwanda will continue to prosper and that the relationship between our two peoples and our governments will continue to grow.

Murakoze cyane.

At this time, I would like to ask you to join me in a toast to His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and to the people of Rwanda.

May you enjoy prosperity and happiness.

{Welcome Foreign Minister and invite hER to make remarks}

Thank you again very much for being here. 

Please enjoy the rest of the evening.

If any of you would like to visit the first floor of our new Embassy building,  you are welcome to have a tour now.

Entry is through that door and there will be staff inside to answer any of your questions.