Secretary-General's remarks to the press at the airport prior to his departure from Rwanda

It is a great pleasure to be here in Kigali again.

I'd like to thank President Kagame and the Government of Rwanda for their warm welcome and kind hospitality.

I have had very constructive and useful meetings with Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo and [?]justice and other ministers concerned, including finance minister. And I had a very good meeting, of course, with President Paul Kagame this morning.

I was pleased to convey my own personal congratulations in person to President Kagame as he was re-inaugurated for a second term as President of Rwanda. And I wished him continued good success and leadership. And I am convinced that under his dynamic and able leadership Rwanda will continue to prosper and make economic and social development and political maturity in the years to come.

We discussed Rwanda's great strides in working toward the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in the area of maternal and children's health. I have explained how the negotiations and preparations of the MDG summit meeting are going on in UN Headquarters. And also I am looking forward to President Kagame's personal participation in that meeting, the Millennium Development Goals summit meeting as he is going to chair a second round of the high-level advisory group, Millennium advocacy group, in New York. I asked him to play a very strong leadership role during the MDG summit meeting

There is much work to do and not much time left, so I am particularly grateful for President Kagame's initiative to bring together a wide range of African leaders earlier this week to discuss the MDGs. I highly commended his initiative to convene the African leaders' MDG consultation forum just one day before his inauguration as President of Rwanda

I also strongly praised Rwanda's commitment to the whole UN agenda and in particular its role in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, not least in Sudan. Rwandan forces are well trained. They are highly disciplined. And they are widely respected for their great contribution for peace and security in the region. And I strongly urged President Kagame to continue such great and noble contribution around the world, particularly when we are going to see two referenda in Sudan in January next year. This will be very important in protecting the civilian population –especially women and children and girls.

Peacekeeping is a noble cause and I told President Kagame I sincerely hope that Rwanda will continue its excellent –indeed exemplary –work in support of peace and security in the region.

And I have also expressed my sympathy and condolences for those Rwandan soldiers who have ultimately given their lives in the cause of the noble mission of peace and security.

We also discussed further strengthening the partnership between Rwanda and the United Nations. This is a relationship I particularly value.

As you know, I decided to visit Kigali at this time to speak directly with President Kagame and his Government about their concern regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo Human Rights mapping exercise commissioned by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations.

Both the President and I are disappointed by the draft of the report having been leaked.

The United Nations is interested in establishing all the facts relating to incidents in the DRC and covered by this mapping exercise.

In my meetings with the Foreign Minister yesterday evening and my meeting with President Kagame this morning we have discussed in depth about these issues and I have listened very carefully to their serious concerns on this mapping report.

I have encouraged President Kagame and the Rwandan Government and all concerned countries to submit their comments by the end of this month. Those comments will be released together with the final version of this mapping report simultaneously, with the [other] comments received by those countries concerned.

We have agreed to continue our dialogue on all these issues when President Kagame visits New York next week. This is in important part of the United Nations' dialogue with the concerned countries, and that will certainly continue.

Thank you very much.