702, Sunday night

Your relationships with your neighbors to the east and the conflicts that have been ongoing there for a while. You'd be familiar with the argument that this is an attempt to burnish your image in the world community by associating it with popular sports. That will be, I'm sure, something you'll be confronted with, not just you but your colleagues as well, over the months to come. What's your response to that criticism?

First of all, there's there's nothing to wash on our image because the image of Rwanda has been for so many years a country, even by data and facts, a country that is quickly developing. We are among the fastest growing economies in Africa. We've had an image of a country that's stable, that is having a vision and that is really progressing in terms of even how we participate in our own agenda to become a country that is developing.

When people bring those arguments, this is the double standards aspect, which we believe is really outdated and should no longer be subject to conversation. When Western countries and other countries in the world are tapping into opportunities like sports and these events, it becomes a vision and a forward thinking. But when an African country or Rwanda is looking at that, it becomes another interpretation. It becomes sports washing. Why?

We are a country that has a vision and tap into opportunities that everybody else is tapping into. We know that sport is growing with huge impact when it comes to competition, when it comes to ability to industries and so forth. So, the process of what is happening with neighboring countries, Rwanda has always been an advocate of peace and there's a process that is going through. So, we believe both parties and all parties involved will play their role.

In following different platforms that have been taken and will continue to take place. Meanwhile, let us all enjoy sport for us, for Africa, and allow the young generation to take and tap into opportunities that everybody else is tapping into. We deserve that as Africans. Nelly Mukazayire, thank you very much. She's Minister of Sports at the Republic of Rwanda. The moments that got you talking: 702 Replay.