<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="update" width="81%">Thursday, 11th March 2010</td>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title">Kagame addresses C’wealth Business Council</td>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title"><img src="http://www.newtimes.co.rw/photos/14196-President-Kagame---Prince-C.jpg" border="1"><br>
<div class="pic_caption" style="padding-right: 8px;">President Kagame with UK’s Prince Charles at a reception to mark Commonwealth Day in London (Photo: Astrid Shulz)</div>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title"> By Our reporter</td>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_body"><p><strong>LONDON</strong>
- President Paul Kagame, yesterday attended a lunch held in his honour
at the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC), in London, where he
addressed the business members of the Commonwealth for the first time
since Rwanda joined the bloc.</p> <p>The event was hosted by Dr Mohan
Kaul, Director General of the CBC, who took the opportunity to welcome
Rwanda and President Kagame into the Commonwealth.</p> <p>In his speech, Dr Kaul told the Council about the benefits Rwandan businesses stand to gain as members of the Commonwealth.</p> <p>This
was also emphasised by President Kagame in his speech. "The joining of
the Commonwealth presents a huge opportunity for Rwandan businesses and
we are looking forward to forging partnerships with all of the member
states," he said. </p> <p>President Kagame acknowledged that, while
Rwanda has shown great commitment to economic development in recent
years, there is still a long journey ahead in the path to development
and that Rwanda would continue to focus on its main asset – its people
– in order to reach the set goals.</p> <p>President Kagame took the
opportunity to invite the members to the Rwanda Investment Forum, to be
held in Kigali, May 10-11, 2010.</p> <p>The event, which is being
jointly organised by the CBC and Rwanda Development Board, aims to
bring together business and political leaders from Commonwealth member
countries, to discuss the investment opportunities in Rwanda.</p> <p>The
forum also aims to promote the fact that, through Rwanda, businesses
can access an East African Market of around 150 million people, which
is experiencing rapid growth.</p> <p>It will be the first of its kind
since 2008, when Rwanda held the East African International Business
Forum, which saw around 500 leaders from business and government attend.</p> <p>President
Kagame hopes the forum will enable the government expand its network of
relationships, created by joining the Commonwealth.</p> <p><strong>Ends</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></table><br>