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Ethiopia PM participates in Rwanda community work during state visit

Xinhua, April 29, 2017 Adjust font size:

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Saturday participated in the Rwanda monthly community work locally known as Umuganda as he winds up his three-day State Visit to the small central African country.

Desalegn arrived in the Rwandan Capital Kigali on Thursday accompanied by the First Lady Roman Tesfaye and high level officials of his government to strengthen bilateral ties between Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Together with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame, the Ethiopian leader and his spouse took part in the construction of a local school library in Kacyiru sector, Gasabo District in the Capital Kigali.

"I am impressed by this practice of monthly community work. It's one of the pillars of inclusive social and economic development of the country's economy. Rwanda has many developmental lessons to share with the rest of the world," he said during the community work.

Umuganda is held in communities across Rwanda every last Saturday of every month and it has become a norm among Rwandan citizens where they use the platform to develop their communities.

Since his arrival in Rwanda, Desalegn has since then witnessed the signing of 11 bilateral agreements across multiple sectors, visited hillside agriculture transformation in northern Rwanda and toured Ntebe Integrated Model Village in Rwamagana District in Eastern Rwanda.

On Friday evening, Ethiopian leader officially opened the Embassy of Ethiopia in Rwanda.

The agreements inked between the two countries are in the areas of extradition treaty, mutual legal assistance, communication, information and media, youth and sports, tourism and health.

Rwanda and Ethiopia also signed bilateral pacts in areas of education, culture, cooperation in prisons and correctional services, gender, women and children as well as water resources management.

Prime Minister Desalegn and President Kagame addressed a joint news conference on Friday where they highlighted the two countries' commitment to achieve inclusive social and economic development. Endit