Published on
18.04.2020 at 21h21
by
APA News
President Paul Kagame and his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid have discussed the role of technology to respond to Covid-19, according to an official statement obtained Saturday by APA in KigaliThe two leaders held a phone conversation during which they praised each other for eppreciating the importance of using digital technologies in the fight against the pandemic.
“Joining our digital efforts and continuous collaboration across sectors will be key to ending the spread of #COVID19,” Kagame said.
In addition Kagame said digital tech could also help in “facing the realities that await us all when the pandemic comes to an end.”
Rwanda and Estonia are known to share the belief that technology ought to be at the centre of their socio-economic development.
Estonia is particularly a very tech-savvy country with one of the highest adult literacy in the world, according to UNESCO.
The Northern European country is famed for its electronic governance, and health and for being the first country in the world to adopt online voting in 2005.
The Estonian President said after holding talks with Kagame that the international community needs to stand united during the pandemic.
“Looking forward to working together with @RealSmartAfrica (Smart Africa Secretariat) to develop tech capabilities,” she said.
With headquarters in Kigali, the Smart Africa Secretariat is a continental organisation that seeks to help African countries transform using digital technologies.
President Kaljulaid was in Rwanda in 2017 during which the two leaders discussed cooperation in digital space.
Estonia and Smart Africa are already collaborating to promote Africa’s digital transformation.
As the world grapples with coronavirus pandemic, technology is seen as an alternative to enable certain businesses to grow.
E-commerce has, for instance, picked a pace during the period many countries have put their citizens on a lockdown.
Citizens in Rwanda are already accessing all needed products through digital platforms.
