SPEECH
BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE ACCEPTING THE CREDENTIALS
FROM MR. ZEPHYR MUTANGUHA, AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE OF THE REPUBLIC
OF RWANDA TO INDIA
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12, 1997
I am happy to receive
the Letter of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of Rwanda
to India with residence in Tokyo.
India and Rwanda
enjoy friendly relations based on a common commitment to the ideals of
peace and development. In recent years our bilateral relations have made
significant progress. I am confident that you, Mr. Ambassador, would strive
to further strengthen these bonds.
We in India have
shared in the agony of the people of Rwanda following the incidents of
the last few years. We have been pained by the tragic loss of innocent
lives, the destruction of property and large-scale devastation that took
place in your country. We appreciate the positive and concrete steps taken
by the Government of Rwanda to normalize the situation and ensure the
return of over one million refugees. It is our hope that in the coming
years, Rwanda would progress rapidly on the path of peace, reconstruction
and development, so that its people can, at last, savour the fruits of
their hard won independence.
India is firmly committed
to the goals of South-South cooperation. Our two countries are jointly
exploring new areas of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, dairy
farming, transportation and human resource development. Over the last
few decades, we have devised methodologies to adapt advanced scientific
and engineering techniques for the betterment of our society. We are willing
to share these experiences with the people of Rwanda and to participate
substantively in their endeavours to develop indigenous capacities and
attain self-reliance.
As members of the
Nonaligned Movement, India and Rwanda share common perceptions on many
international issues. The recent Ministerial meeting of the Nonaligned
Movement in Delhi outlined several important measures to strengthen the
Movement and to equip developing countries to effectively address the
challenges of the twenty first century.
I wish to convey
through you, Mr. Ambassador, on behalf of the people and the Government
of India, and on my own behalf, greetings and good wishes to His Excellency
President Pasteur Bizimungu. In wishing you a successful tenure as Ambassador
to India, I assure you of the fullest cooperation of my Government in
our mutual effort to strengthen the existing ties between our two Governments
and peoples.
Thank you
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