This follows the 45th Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie (CMF) held Thursday September 3, 2024 chaired by IOF Secretary General Loiuse Mushikiwabo, also attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
Held under the theme 'Create, innovate, and do business in French,' the 19th Francophonie Summit, also called Villers-Cotterêts Summit, will have a special focus on youth employment.
During the preparatory meeting, Minister Nduhungirehe announced to his peers the anticipated reception of the 46th Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie in Kigali in 2025.
On the first day of the Summit tomorrow, the President and First Lady will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts, a town 80 km north-east of Paris where French was declared the official language of France in 1539, replacing Latin.
Later in the evening, they will join other dignitaries for a dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at the Élysée Palace.
On the second day of the Summit, President Kagame will attend a closed roundtable session on 'Renewed Multilateralism' chaired by President Macron, followed by a closed door session.
The Summit will conclude with the adoption of the Villers-Cotterêts Declaration.
Sam K Nkurunziza
