Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

This is my second official visit to Rwanda since taking office as Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is both an honor and a mark of our shared commitment to work together in matters of peace and security and human development. President Kagame and I have just had an engaging and frank discussion about the situation in the border region between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We also touched on Rwanda's crucial peacekeeping role in United Nations operations, in particular in the Darfur region of the Sudan.

I expressed to President Kagame my satisfaction at the steps he has taken to open a new chapter in Rwanda-DRC relations. I am heartened by his intention to establish full diplomatic relations with the DRC, and to revitalize the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries. Also, Rwanda's joint military operation with the DRC against the threat from the FDLR [Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda] appears to have made progress. On that point, I also urged the President to ensure that these operations do not affect negatively the civilian population and humanitarian access to those in need.

We also discussed the active role being played by my Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Olusegun Obasanjo, in the search for a peaceful solution to the situation in eastern DRC. I thanked the President for his support for the work of my Special Envoy with whom he met again recently here in Kigali.

Finally, I stressed to the President my firm belief that peace and development can only be achieved and sustained through a process that is both internally driven and owned. The role of the United Nations is to encourage and support such efforts. In the case of Rwanda, we remain fully committed to doing just that.

Thank you very much.