Museveni and São Tomé and Príncipe President Discuss Economic Cooperation

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had a productive meeting with H.E Carlos Manuel Vila Nova, the President of São Tomé and Principe. The meeting took place at State House Entebbe and revolved around discussions concerning bilateral relations between the two countries, with a primary focus on economic cooperation.

President Museveni assured his esteemed guest that Uganda is fully prepared to collaborate with São Tomé and Principe across various sectors of the economy. He expressed the intention to explore opportunities for cooperation in fish processing, mentioning Uganda’s capacity in this area.

“We will tap into this opportunity and cooperate in processing fish for you. I will call our fish processors here, and we will discuss further on how we can work together,” President Museveni stated. He also highlighted Uganda’s existing infrastructure for fish processing, which includes approximately 22 factories dedicated to freshwater fish like Nile perch, Tilapia, and others along the shores of Lake Victoria.

The President emphasized the potential for a partnership that leverages São Tomé and Principe’s vast ocean resources, further stating, “So, I think it would be a great idea for us to utilize that big ocean in your country and start our partnership.”

President Museveni also shared insights about Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) ideology, which has been instrumental in the country’s development since the 1980s. He encouraged President Manuel to consider implementing a similar ideology, highlighting the importance of producing goods and services for a prosperous economy.

“For prosperity, as a country, you must be able to produce a good or a service and sell it and get money. The people need a market because if you produce something, and nobody buys, you will not be prosperous,” he added.

President Museveni also underlined the significance of elements such as Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and Democracy in promoting prosperity for a nation.

President Manuel expressed his country’s willingness to partner with Uganda to enhance the economies of both countries, showing strong support for the proposed collaboration in the sector.

He expressed gratitude to President Museveni for his efforts in promoting economic development and peace in the region. President Manuel emphasized the value of learning from regional leaders like President Museveni.

H.E Carlos Manuel Vila Nova is on a two-day working visit to Uganda and is scheduled to visit Kiira Motors Corporation in Jinja tomorrow.

The meeting was attended by Gen. Jeje Odongo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Joseph Ocwet, the Director General of External Security Organization (ESO).

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