Miss Rwanda 2021 Contestants briefed on Rwanda’s diplomacy, foreign policy
Miss Rwanda 2021 contestants on Monday morning enjoyed an interesting session on understanding Rwanda’s diplomacy and foreign policy in a session with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MINAFFET).
The contestants interacted with Shakilla K. Umutoni, the Director General for Africa at the Ministry and Frederick Kamusiime, the Division Manager, EAC and Eastern African Affairs at MINAFFET, who gave them insights into Rwanda’s diplomacy.
Umutoni started by explaining to the Miss Rwanda 2021 contestants how the country conducts its diplomacy or pursues its foreign policy as well as the different types of relationships a country can have with other countries or organisations.
“The first channel through which diplomacy is carried out is through bilateral ties between Rwanda and another country. Rwanda has bilateral relations with individual countries. For example, relations between Rwanda and say South Africa or Belgium are categorised as bilateral ties,”
“We also have multilateral relations, which are ties between Rwanda and more than two countries or bodies, that is where regional integration comes in, such as EAC or the African Union. Rwanda joins or becomes part of such blocs due to the benefits that come with such as well as its own interests,” she explained.
Umutoni said that currently Rwanda has a good diplomatic standing, with the President of the Republic being the lead diplomat.
“He is the number one person who pursues good relations between Rwanda and other countries. He seeks friends based on the country’s vision and interests,” Umutoni said, highlighting how President Paul Kagame has been at the forefront of finding Rwanda new important friends.
Regarding continental bodies or regional blocs, Umutoni said that Rwanda looks at different continental opportunities that come with being a member of such organisations.
She said Rwanda’s vision is particularly pegged on the African continent agenda, pointing out that national visions feed into the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
She also said that Rwanda as a member of the United Nations has to follow a certain global agenda, based on the interests of the country, since Rwanda cannot exist in isolation.
“While the President is the lead diplomat for the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation is where it is all coordinated. As I told you, I am there as a Director General for Africa, there is a director for Asia, Europe and other continents,”
“Our job is to coordinate diplomacy, engage with other countries and blocs, mainly through their Ambassadors with whom we engage to identify common interests. Our interests are anchored in our vision. We have specific things we look for in diplomatic ties,” she said.
While pursuing the country’s interests, Umutoni said that reciprocity is a very important aspect for diplomacy because even the other country has its own interests. They meet and engage with Ambassadors appointed to Rwanda to reach such an understanding,” Umutoni said.
It is not only that. Rwanda too has Ambassadors in different countries, who also have a mission to represent and look out for the interests of the country.
“If we say we want to build a knowledge-based economy, the role of the Ambassadors is to identify opportunities in the countries they are posted in and ensure that Rwanda signs agreements and seek partnerships with stakeholders in those countries who can then contribute to Rwanda’s efforts and skills development,” she said.
Umutoni said that out of such engagements, Rwanda has been able to build partnerships with different countries, which are beneficial and has also been able to attract investors.
Where does Rwanda stand today?
Umutoni said that President Kagame, as the lead diplomat of the country, has been able to look for so many friends for Rwanda and also as a result there others come to look for friendship with Rwanda because of the vision the country has.
“There are people who come here to look for opportunities to invest and build effective partnerships while others come as tourists and bring revenues here. Others come to learn from us,”
“As a country which 27 years ago was devasted by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, there is a lot we have been able to achieve, in education, health care, socio-economic development and people want to come here and learn how we have been able to do it,” Umutoni said.
How did Rwanda get there?
“It is all about good leadership. Leadership has been key, particularly President Kagame, who introduced a culture of people challenging themselves to do better every day,”
“If you have a job, go out there and do it, have a vision, have a goal to move from one place to another, be ambitious. This mindset has been key for us to achieve what we have achieved today,” Umutoni said.
In order to do that, Umutoni said you must have character because character is everything.
“If you want to achieve something, don’t be proud or arrogant. Just set out your goals and achieve them but you must be humble, diligent and have a good level of integrity,”
“For young people like you, it is very important to get role models who you can look up to. People who have done great things, who you aspire to be like. If you have someone who inspires you, they always remind you to stay focused on your goals, you challenge yourself. Think about your legacy, even at your young age,” she said.
Umutoni reminded the girls that even though they are young, below them they have much younger people -a generation behind them which is going to look up to them.
“Be Miss Rwanda contestants that will leave a legacy behind. Don’t set a bad example, be self-conscious,”
“As I said, Ambassadors represent the interests of Rwanda out there but you are also ambassadors now. This platform has given you a status which automatically makes you Ambassadors, you have a task to represent Rwanda in whatever you do,” she added.
Umutoni told the girls that tomorrow they are likely to be invited to represent Rwanda at the international level and they must carry the Rwandan flag proudly and act in a manner that makes the country proud.
“You must stand out wherever you go. Be ready to respond to questions about your country. If you went to Malawi today for example, how much do you know about your country if someone asked you?”
“You must be armed with this knowledge and sell it to the world so that even someone who hasn’t come to Rwanda wishes to come,” she said.
On his part, Kamusiime, who is the Division Manager of EAC at the Ministry, said that in the EAC, Rwanda’s most important interests are economic in nature.
As a member of the EAC, the economic interests are given more importance because these are neighbouring countries which Rwanda directly trades with.
“When we talk about customs union, common market or free movement of people or not tariff barriers, we are talking about easing trade and free movement of goods and people,”
“The second aspect is, Rwanda with just over 12m, we are a small number but when you look at EAC, we are talking about a market of close to 200 million people. This means that EAC is one big market which Rwanda as a member can tap into,” Kamusiime said.
He said that even as members of EAC, Rwanda strives to be different by aspiring for values and principles that make the country stand out.
“For example, when it comes to fighting corruption, people know Rwanda has a zero-tolerance stance. We make sure we pay our dues to EAC in a timely manner because we believe that once you sign up for something, you have to live up to the promise,” Kamusiime said.
He added that today in most countries, when you travel with the Rwandan ID or passport, there is respect attached to it because of those values, which have been cultivated by the number one diplomat, the President of the Republic.
As Miss Rwanda contestants, the officials said the girls are already Ambassadors because there is a lot expected from you.
They were reminded that they will get many opportunities to represent Rwanda at different levels and that they will find an already established image which they must protect at all costs.
The contestants asked the two officials several questions in line with the discussions, including more details on African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Umutoni gave the girls a background of the continental body and the reforms it has been undergoing to make it more effective, out of which Agenda 2063 was born.
She explained the different reforms that have been ringed in at the AU, getting rid of redundant positions and ensuring effectiveness in the recruitment of commissioners and staff, as a way of ensuring delivery.
President Kagame led the reforms. The Agenda 2063 is the continent’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future.
