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Blair helps Rwanda build economy | Blair helps Rwanda build economy |
(1 day later) | |
Tony Blair has agreed to help Rwanda attract private investment as it seeks to build its economy. | Tony Blair has agreed to help Rwanda attract private investment as it seeks to build its economy. |
He has made his first visit to the central African country since offering himself as an unpaid adviser to its president, Paul Kagame. | He has made his first visit to the central African country since offering himself as an unpaid adviser to its president, Paul Kagame. |
Mr Blair will now use his international status to promote the opportunities on offer there to foreign investors. | Mr Blair will now use his international status to promote the opportunities on offer there to foreign investors. |
Rwanda is trying to recover from the 1994 genocide, when some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. | |
Mr Blair told a press conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, that it was an "exciting" time to be engaged with the country's development. | Mr Blair told a press conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, that it was an "exciting" time to be engaged with the country's development. |
'Clear vision' | 'Clear vision' |
"I think the fascinating thing about Rwanda is that it's a country that has gone through a terrible and traumatic experience, but has rebuilt itself," he said. | "I think the fascinating thing about Rwanda is that it's a country that has gone through a terrible and traumatic experience, but has rebuilt itself," he said. |
"It stands now in a situation where people want to take it to a new and higher level of development." | "It stands now in a situation where people want to take it to a new and higher level of development." |
He added: "The question is how do we build the capability to make that happen, because the vision is one thing and to make it happen is another. | He added: "The question is how do we build the capability to make that happen, because the vision is one thing and to make it happen is another. |
"The vision is clear and good, but it's doing it - and doing it as we all know is the hard thing. Any help that I can give in that is a privilege." | "The vision is clear and good, but it's doing it - and doing it as we all know is the hard thing. Any help that I can give in that is a privilege." |
The 1994 genocide only stopped when the Hutu extremist government was overthrown by Mr Kagame, then a guerrilla leader, and his forces. | |
Mr Blair has held a number of meetings with the Rwandan president since he left Number 10 last June. The pair are said to be long-standing friends. | Mr Blair has held a number of meetings with the Rwandan president since he left Number 10 last June. The pair are said to be long-standing friends. |
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