Washington, DC — In an address to the business community on Wednesday, March 5, 2003 His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, guaranteed U.S. investors a supportive business environment and access to markets in his country. President Kagame and Dr. Alexandre Lyambabaje, Minister of Commerce, Industry, Investment Promotion, Tourism and Cooperatives, spoke on business opportunities in Rwanda at a reception hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa.

President Kagame highlighted handicrafts, tea, coffee and pyrethrum as profitable Rwandan exports to the U.S. He also identified the potential business opportunities in the energy, telecommunications and tourism sectors. He encouraged U.S. companies to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Rwanda and its status as a beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). To increase investors' interest in the country, the President promised that U.S. companies could count on the Rwandan government as a serious partner that will do all in its power to ensure that the investments are profitable.

Paul Kagame was elected President of the Republic of Rwanda in 2000 after serving as vice-president and minister of defense in the Rwandan government of national unity formed in July 1994. He was appointed chairman of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1998. He came to Washington, D.C. for a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush which took place on Tuesday, March 4, 2003.

CCA, established in 1992, is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of over 150 U.S. corporations dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. CCA's website is at www.africacncl.org.