President Paul Kagame urged world leaders Tuesday to focus on delivering results that meet citizens’ needs, saying trust between governments and their people depends on action grounded in history and local context.
Kagame spoke at the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) conference in Riyadh, joining Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“As a leader, if you know what people want and expect, you must do everything possible to deliver,” Kagame said. “This is impossible if your actions are not aligned with their history. Trust comes when leadership respects the people’s past.”
The conference, moderated by Richard Attias, CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute, focused on the theme: “Are People on the Right Track?” Discussions centered on global development and shared prosperity.
Kagame highlighted Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery as an example of how a small nation can achieve significant progress through citizen engagement and self-reliance.
“We are a small country, but our thinking is not small. We have learned not to be bound by past mistakes. We focus on development, collaborate with partners, and trust ourselves. No one can solve our problems better than we can ourselves,” he said.
Kagame said leaders must first address their own citizens’ needs before seeking international assistance. President Ali of Guyana supported Kagame’s view, emphasizing that collaboration and shared responsibility are key to sustainable development and investment.
