DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame met face to face at the GlobalGateway Forum 2025
Brussels, Belgium —President Paul Kagame delivered a compelling address at the Global Gateway Forum 2025 in Brussels, emphasizing the need for equitable and pragmatic partnerships between Africa and Europe.
Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and African Union Chairperson João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Kagame called for a redefinition of global cooperation rooted in mutual respect and shared prosperity.
In his remarks, Kagame highlighted the shifting global landscape, noting that economic and political disruptions are challenging long-held assumptions about globalization. “The answer is not to retreat or turn inwards,” he said. “Our economies and security are intertwined in ways that cannot be reversed.”
He stressed that true partnerships must go beyond conditional aid and compliance, advocating instead for models that create value and avoid dependency. “If you want to work with Africa, a true and lasting partnership must be equal, with shared risk and reward,” Kagame asserted.
He pointed to Rwanda’s collaboration with the European Union on BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Kigali as a prime example of productive cooperation. The facility, supported by the Team Europe initiative, marks a significant step toward regional vaccine autonomy and pandemic preparedness.
Kagame concluded with a nod to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s earlier sentiments, echoing the optimism and energy surrounding the forum:
“We felt the positive energy about business, investment, peace…”
Global Gateway Forum for Rwanda:
President Paul Kagame delivering his remarks
The Global Gateway Forum is a flagship initiative of the European Commission aimed at enhancing global connectivity through strategic investments in infrastructure, digital networks, energy, and transport.
Launched in 2021, the initiative seeks to mobilize up to €300 billion in public and private funding by 2027 to support sustainable development and geopolitical resilience.
The 2025 edition of the forum brought together heads of state, financial institutions, private sector leaders, and civil society organizations to address pressing global challenges.
This year’s theme focused on strengthening partnerships to counter economic fragmentation and promote inclusive growth.
Africa remains a central focus of the Global Gateway strategy, with projects targeting digital transformation, green energy, and industrial development.
The forum underscores the EU’s commitment to building equal and enduring relationships with African nations, moving beyond traditional donor-recipient dynamics.
Rwanda has emerged as a key partner in the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, with a series of impactful investments aimed at health, education, and economic inclusion.
Some of the EU projects in Rwanda include:
The BioNTech mRNA Vaccine Facility- an EU-backed initiative to establish Africa’s first end-to-end mRNA vaccine production site in Kigali, a Human Development Accelerator (HDX)- €95 million blended finance package to support BioNTech’s infrastructure and clinical manufacturing capabilities, an additional €40 million investment to boost local manufacturing of vaccines and health products, with focus on vocational training and R&D.
A €10 million Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy co-funded by EU, UNHCR, and WFP to help 14,403 refugee families achieve self-reliance through education and livelihoods among others.
Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission, emphasized the need to diversify partnerships and reduce dependency on unsustainable foreign investments, celebrated the milestone of €306 billion mobilized under Global Gateway, surpassing the initial €300 billion target ahead of schedule and called for deeper collaboration in strategic sectors like clean energy, AI, digital infrastructure, and critical minerals.
João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola & AU Chair advocated for African ownership in development projects and stressed the need for infrastructure that supports intra-African trade and industrialization (details inferred from Kagame’s remarks and AU priorities.
