German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has said his country will immediately disburse DM 1.3 million (US $558,000) in assistance to drought-stricken parts of southern Rwanda. According to a statement by Rwandan presidential press secretary Nicholas Shalita, received by IRIN on Monday, Fischer said his current visit to Rwanda was aimed at boosting the already strong ties between the two countries, particularly in the fields of justice, human rights and democracy. The two sides also hoped to develop cooperation in new areas such as environmental protection, wildlife conservation and development of energy resources. To this end, Fischer and President Paul Kagame last week undertook a two-hour hike into the Virunga mountains to observe the world famous mountain gorillas. Rwanda is trying to promote the gorillas again after tourism in the country dried up following the 1994 genocide and subsequent rebel attacks in the area.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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