• Rwandans, Friends of Rwanda

Good evening.

The past year, 2025, brought significant growth and opportunity for our country, alongside real challenges.

I thank all Rwandans for your trust and cooperation this year.

Our economy performed well. The task ahead is to sustain and raise this growth, and use our resources productively.

This demands that we engineer new solutions, which keeps us focused and ambitious.

We cannot count on anyone else to finance our development and well-being. Our most important asset as a nation is our capable young people.

It is your task, as young Rwandans, to sustain what we have built, and take it further. I hope you are prepared for that duty, including when it may require sacrifices from us individually and collectively.

Throughout our journey, we have turned obstacles into opportunities, and emerged stronger.

We must never lose sight of where we have come from, and we always carry this resolve forward, as we continue building.

Several milestone events this year elevated Rwanda’s profile internationally.

The International Security Conference on Africa was held for the first time, and the African School of Governance matriculated its first class of students from all around Africa. We also convened a new annual event on nuclear power innovation for Africa.

This reaffirms that Rwandans, and Africans generally, have the power to define who we are, what we stand for, and where we are going.

The defining moment of 2025 was undoubtedly hosting the UCI World Cycling Championships. Bringing this competition and its elite athletes to Kigali’s streets was a source of immense pride for our nation.

I congratulate everyone involved in making these events a success.

Sports unifies and empowers communities across all boundaries. The world saw Rwanda, and Africa in a new light.

And much as we are not yet on top in football, the prospects for the future are promising, thanks to the help of FIFA in building ourselves up. We also look forward to hosting the FIFA Series next year.

With the infrastructure we have built, our long-term ambition is to nurture the next generation of Rwandan talent to compete and excel.

This month, Rwanda and the DRC signed the Washington Accords.

I thank the United States and Qatar, alongside our African institutions, for supporting this peace process. It is a critical step toward addressing the root causes of conflict in Eastern DRC, and restoring regional stability.

Rwanda is fully committed to implementing this agreement, but any threat to the peace and security of our people is unacceptable. The threat of state-supported violent extremism is unfortunately still very real.

The future we deserve is within reach. We must stay the course, remain positive, and continue aiming higher.

As we celebrate the end of the year, I urge everyone to stay vigilant and mindful of your safety and that of others around you.

Every single one of you has an important contribution to make, toward achieving our goals.

My family and I wish all Rwandans and friends of Rwanda a joyful and prosperous New Year.