Our Correspondent
26 May 2008
Kigali — President Kagame Sunday laid wreaths at the Monument of the National Heroes and Martyrs, and at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh where the late Vietnamese leader's preserved body lies in state.
This was on his third day of his official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. After the ceremonies in Hanoi Kagame toured the residence of the late Ho Chi Minh, who throughout the Vietnam War and until his death chose to live and work in a modest wooden house on the grounds behind the opulent Presidential Palace.
Later in the day, the President toured the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university established in the 11th century to educate the Vietnamese administrative and warrior class.
On Saturday he visited the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Research and the Sai Dong B Industrial Park.
The institutions serve as showpieces of the Vietnamese "Renovation Policy" success in agricultural and technology joint venture business respectively.
At the agricultural institute which specialises in fruit and vegetable research, Kagame remarked that Rwanda was eager to learn from the success of Vietnam's innovative agricultural policy and successful transformation.
He pointed out that agriculture was critically important to Rwanda, contributing significantly to the country's GDP, but still faced many challenges and had yet to achieve its full potential to transform the economy.
The President toured the Hanoi Electronics Corporation (Hanel), Sumi-Hanel and Daewoo-Hanel assembly plants, joint ventures between the Government of Vietnam and Japanese and Korean multinational corporations, where he observed the manufacture of various electronic equipment and appliances for export.
Addressing senior management of the industrial park, Kagame pointed out that Rwanda was keen to develop manufacturing industries especially in technology and urged Vietnamese industry leaders to visit Rwanda to explore opportunities for trade and investment.
He ends his official visit today with a courtesy call on the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the Party's Central Committee in Hanoi.
Kagame's next stop is Japan where he is scheduled to participate at the fourth Tokyo International Conference for Africa's Development taking place this week in Yokohama.
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