Uganda, Vietnam sign  cooperation deals 

Uganda has signed several cooperation deals with Vietnam as the two countries strengthen ties.
The signing of deals in four areas of technical scientific cooperation, agriculture, ICT and health, was witnessed by President Museveni and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuân Phúc  in Vietnam.
“It is, therefore, very good that you have invited us here so that we can see how we [can] work together in the four areas of technical scientific cooperation, agriculture, ICT and Health,” President Museveni said yesterday.

Vietnam’s economy has a big fraction of state-owned industries and has developed its paper, textile, tourism and telecommunication sectors. Uganda, which is also revamping its own state parastatals, is looking to understand how Vietnam was able to develop its industries.
President Museveni told Vietnamese investors to establish factories and businesses in Uganda since they will be able to sell their products to markets in Africa and Europe.

“So, whatever you produce in Uganda, [your products] can be sold in all those countries. We have also got access to European markets and Asia,” President Museveni said.
President Museveni said the East African market has 300 million people and the African market has 1.3 billion people that Vietnamese investors would sell their products to.
According to the State House, President Museveni is expected to visit FPT Corporation, Vietnam’s leading IT firm, and the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and officiate at the opening of the Vietnam-Uganda Business Forum and Trade Exhibition today.

To strengthen ties, Uganda and Vietnamese officials were exempted from visa requirements in both countries.
President Nguyen praised Uganda for maintaining political stability and economic development.
“I’m confident that Uganda will achieve more in its five-year plans of 2020/2021 to 2024 /2025 and realising Uganda’s Vision 2040 towards transforming Ugandan society from peasant to a modern and prosperous country,” President Nguyen said.
He said the government of Uganda supported them in their fight for national liberation.

“This is truly an important foundation for political trust and cooperation for shared development between the two countries,” he said “The traditional bond of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Uganda has witnessed very positive growth of late, especially in the political, economic, trade and investment domains.”
The current Vietnam communist government fought against United States backed South Vietnam leadership and defeated it in 1975.
President Museveni praised the current Vietnam leadership for the successes during their liberation struggles.

“I’m very happy to be here and I thank you for inviting me. While the Muslims go to Mecca for pilgrimage and the Catholics go to Rome for pilgrimage to the Pope, we the freedom fighters come to Vietnam as our pilgrimage,” President Museveni said.
He said Vietnamese have successfully reconstructed of their country.
“…winning political victory is meaningless and can’t be sustained if they don’t achieve socio-economic growth,” he said.