President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has returned to Uganda from Serbia.
While in Serbia, President Museveni was seen off by the country’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Ivica Dacic at Nikola Tesla Airport- Belgrade. Present during departure were Uganda’s Ambassador to Serbia, H.E Elizabeth Paula Napeyok and the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Hon. Bright Rwamirama.
At Entebbe International Airport, H.E Museveni was received by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Police Director for Human Resource Development, AIGP Godfrey Golooba (representing IGP) and the Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons, Mr Samuel Akena (Representing CGP).
The President left Uganda on Wednesday 26th July 2023 for Russia to attend the Second Russia-Africa Summit that ran from 27th- 28th July in Russia’s city of Saint Petersburg.
While there, the President held bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit.
During the meeting, 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.
H.E Museveni also proposed to his host, President Putin to discourage by policy the importing of raw materials from Africa but instead 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.
He also met and held discussions with a committee of the African peace initiative on the crisis in Ukraine that recently met Ukrainian President H.E Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Putin in an attempt to broker and end the conflict in Ukraine.
President Museveni reiterated his commitment to continue working with the committee so as to ensure that a peaceful and amicable solution is realised in Ukraine for the good of the people of Ukraine, Russia, the region and the world.
The President left St. Petersburg on 29th July 2023 and proceeded to the Republic of Serbia for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Serbian counterpart, H.E Aleksandar Vucic.
On Sunday 30th July 2023, the President held bilateral talks with his host, H.E Vucic at the Presidential Palace in Serbia’s capital of Belgrade.
He commended the Republic of Serbia for its continued bilateral cooperation with Uganda.
On the same occasion, Uganda and Serbia signed two Memoranda of Understanding aimed at deepening trade and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Later, the two leaders addressed a business summit where President Museveni called on the people of Serbia to support Uganda in achieving its economic agenda of adding value to her products such as coffee.
The President also launched the Uganda Trade Hub known as “Uganda Connect” in Belgrade. The hub is aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations between Uganda and Serbia and paving the way for the country’s goods and services in the Balkans region.
On the other hand, President Museveni met the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Dr Vladimir Orlic who welcomed him to the European country, assessing that his visit was significant for the further improvement of the bilateral relations between the two countries.