Rwandan Ambassador Antoine Munyakazi-Juru, who took his post last October, says his main mission is improving business relations between his country and Japan.
Rwanda saw economic growth of better than 11 percent in 2008 and there is a rush of highway and building construction in the capital, Kigali.
In a visit to The Japan Times on Wednesday, he said there are numerous investment opportunities in such sectors as agriculture, mining — especially in rare metals — information and communication technology, manufacturing, banking and tourism. Rwanda is one of the few countries with mountain gorillas in the wild.
Formerly the secretary general of Rwanda's Chamber of Commerce and with the World Bank, Munyakazi-Juru stressed that firms investing in Rwanda can take advantage of the free-trade common market created by the East Africa Community composed of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
He underlined that Rwanda is regarded as the least corrupt country in Africa and that its business environment is regarded as the best reformed on the continent. English and French are both used there.
Asked about concerns that President Paul Kagame, who has started a second seven-year term, may seek a constitutionally banned third term by changing the constitution, Munyakazi-Juru said, "I am sure he will comply."
He said Kagame's government of national unity, whose main theme is reconciliation after the 1994 genocide, has succeeded in dramatically improving people's living conditions, health, education and gender equality.