Museveni holds bilateral talks with Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during a welcoming ceremony at the second Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg on July 27, 2023. PHOTO/ AFP
What you need to know:
During the meeting in Putin’s native city, President Museveni outlined areas of cooperation with Russia that include oil exploration, nuclear power energy, fertilizers, the pathogenic economy, electric batteries, and space science that would enable Uganda to have its own dedicated satellite
President Museveni last evening held bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the second Russia-Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg.
During the meeting in Putin’s native city, Museveni outlined areas of cooperation with Russia that include oil exploration, nuclear power energy, fertilizers, the pathogenic economy, electric batteries, and space science that would enable Uganda to have its own dedicated satellite.
The Ugandan leader also proposed to the Kremlin to discourage the West’s policy of importing raw materials from Africa. Instead, Museveni wants European powers to “work with the African governments to add value to products at source as this would transform the economies of the continent in a very short time; from low middle income to high middle-income status.”
Uganda remains one of Russia’s key partners with a clean diplomatic relationship that stretches over 60 years.
“Russia remains committed to strengthening ties in the economic, political, security, trade and humanitarian areas with Africa,” Putin noted adding that “the good relationship between Kampala and the Kremlin has seen trade cooperation increase by five times in the last 6 months compared to last year.”
Russia is also set to double the education scholarships to the Ugandan students and set up about two modern mobile laboratories that can diagnose many diseases including epidemics in the East African country.
President Putin further said that he was happy that Uganda and Russia have close positions on the international arena-based on commitment to shaping a just world that is accommodative to everyone.
Visibly satisfied, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood shoulder to shoulder on Friday with a score of African heads of state as the summit neared end.
About the Russia-Africa Summit
The two-day Russia–Africa Summit started on July 27 is the highest-profile and largest-scale event in Russian-African relations, aimed at bringing about a new level of mutually beneficial partnership to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The goal of the event is to promote efforts to strengthen comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African nations across all areas of society including politics, security, economic relations, science and technology, and the cultural and humanitarian spheres.
