The Head of State made the remarks on Tuesday, September 22, during a virtual commemoration event to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of Israel’s 9th President who passed away on September 28, 2016.

“On behalf of the people and Government of Rwanda and my own behalf, I am pleased to join in paying tribute to an extraordinary man, a son of the State of Israel, President Shimon Peres, who was also a friend of Rwanda,”

“President Peres lived a momentous life in service to his country. We remember him for his firm commitment to peace, which he always articulated with wit and grace, despite all the challenges,” said President Kagame.

President Kagame said that Rwanda identifies with his vision of global collaboration, in pursuit of a brighter future “for all our children”.

“Today my thoughts are with the Peres family, as we recall the legacy of this statesman who touched so many hearts, through his example,”

“We would do well to remember that peace and security are the precondition for human well-being and progress in Israel and throughout the world,” he said.

President Kagame quoted Shimon Peres’ saying that “Peace is not a political choice.

It is a basic, historic, and moral choice” and thanked the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation, which hosted the event, for continuing to keep President Peres’s ideals alive in the minds of young people for generations to come.

The virtual event was attended by members of the Peres family, global figures including former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, former British Premier Tony Blair and Hillary Clinton, singer and actress Barbara Streisand and actress Sharon Stone, among others.