Rwanda's President Kagame to Participate at U.S.-Africa Business Summit

Washington, DC — The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) today announced that President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda will be attending the 7th Biennial U.S. – Africa Business Summit: Realizing the Investment Power of Africa, to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., September 29 – October 1, 2009. "President Kagame's leadership has been instrumental in U.S.-Africa relations," said Stephen Hayes, president and CEO of CCA. "His attendance at the summit sends the message that Rwanda and Africa are primed for American investment."
Currently, 85 percent of all U.S. private sector investment in Africa comes from CCA members, several doing business in Rwanda alone. Increasingly, Rwanda is becoming an attractive option for foreign investment. According to the International Finance Corporation, the ease of doing business in Rwanda has grown by 12 percent over the last two years. President Kagame is committed to building a strong private sector in Rwanda. In his recent Financial Times op-ed, he wrote "Government activities should focus on supporting entrepreneurship…because it unlocks people's minds, fosters innovation and enables people to exercise their talents. Entrepreneurship gives people the feeling that they are valued and have meaning."

Entrepreneurship will be a formidable topic at the summit, throughout various sectors such as infrastructure, natural resources, agribusiness, financing, power, health and tourism. Expected to attract more than 1,500 participants, the summit has a stellar track record of bringing together U.S. and African heads of state, cabinet ministers, Fortune 500 CEO's, and heads of international organizations.