President Paul Kagame speaking at the Diplomatic Dinner
President Paul Kagame said Friday that lasting security in the Great Lakes region could open the door to deeper economic cooperation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, emphasizing that stability remains the foundation for regional prosperity.
Speaking before diplomats and representatives of international organizations in Kigali, Kagame said efforts to resolve tensions between the two neighbors should not only focus on ending violence but also on creating conditions for economic collaboration that could benefit both countries and the wider region.
“If fully implemented, this agreement will provide all parties the security that they need and deserve and lay the groundwork for mutually beneficial economic cooperation,” Kagame said, referring to the Washington peace process aimed at easing tensions in eastern Congo.
The President was accompanied by the First Lady Mrs Jeannette Kagame.
Kagame said the conflict in eastern Congo has long prevented the region from realizing its economic potential, despite its strategic location and abundant natural resources.
The president suggested that a durable peace would allow countries in the region to shift attention from security challenges toward trade, investment and infrastructure development.
He said Rwanda’s partnerships with international actors have already demonstrated how stability can support economic growth.
“Our partnerships have borne fruit precisely because we have had an effective security policy in place continuously for the past three decades,” Kagame said.
According to Kagame, security and development are inseparable, particularly in a region where instability has repeatedly disrupted trade routes and cross-border economic activity.
He said Rwanda remains committed to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving tensions with Congo, provided that the agreements reached are implemented fairly by all parties.
Rwanda, he said, would be prepared to adjust its defensive measures if the security concerns at the heart of the conflict are addressed.
“Rwanda is ready to lift its defensive measures in tandem with the DRC fulfilling its obligations under the Washington accords,” Kagame said.
The president said such steps could help transform relations between the neighboring countries, shifting the focus from confrontation to cooperation.
A diplomatic guest at the Dinner captures the moment
Greater stability, Kagame suggested, could enable new forms of economic partnership ranging from cross-border trade to infrastructure projects linking markets across the region.
The potential for economic integration in the Great Lakes region has long been discussed by regional leaders, but progress has often been hindered by recurring cycles of insecurity.
Eastern Congo in particular has remained volatile for decades, with armed groups operating across vast territories and tensions between regional actors periodically escalating.
Kagame said a comprehensive approach that addresses security threats while promoting economic cooperation could change that dynamic.
Such an approach, he suggested, would benefit not only Rwanda and Congo but the broader region as well.
“If fully implemented,” Kagame said of the peace framework, “it will lay the groundwork for mutually beneficial economic cooperation.”
For Kagame, the message to diplomats was that peace and prosperity in the region are closely linked — and that resolving the security crisis could unlock opportunities that have long remained out of reach.
