On Sunday, an economic delegation including Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot leaves Luxembourg to travel to Niger and Rwanda for a four-day official visit.

The government delegation faces a packed programme during the four-day visit, the highlight of which will be a major telecommunications conference in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.

For that reason, Claude Strasser, managing director of Post Luxembourg, has joined the economic delegation bound for the African continent. The delegation further includes members of the Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE), representatives from the technology sector, as well as start-up entrepreneurs.

Niger

The delegation will first travel to Niamey in Niger, one of four African partner countries in Luxembourg's development aid programme.

Here, PM Bettel will meet with President Mohamed Bazoum and also visit a centre for displaced people from all over the continent.

The delegation will also visit a water pipeline before heading to the airport to continue the trip in Rwanda.

Rwanda

In September last year, the Grand Duchy and Rwanda signed a tax agreement designed to foster economic relations between both countries.

Minister Fayot already visited Rwanda in October last year for the African Microfinance Week, and the Luxembourgish delegation will therefore use the opportunity of the telecommunications conference in Kigali to continue establishing contacts with local institutions and businesses.

Ministers Bettel and Fayot will evaluate the progress of this mission. Since overcoming civil war, Rwanda's economic development has been considered exemplary, often cited as an African success story.

The programme of the state visit also includes a meeting with President Paul Kagame, as well as a dinner.

Kagame is seen as having contributed significantly to Rwanda's success story. However, his regime has also seen regular allegations of human rights violations, most recently articulated in the April report of the international non-government organisation Human Rights Watch.

Whether or not members of Luxembourg's delegation will address these accusations remains to be seen.

The delegation will return to Luxembourg on Wednesday evening.