President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended the Republic of Serbia for its continued bilateral cooperation with Uganda.
The President who is in Serbia for a two-day official visit made the remarks today during a meeting with his host, H.E Aleksandar Vucic at the Presidential Palace in Belgrade.
President Museveni said Uganda and Serbia have been having good working relations since the 1950s.
“Yugoslavia [present day Serbia and Montenegro] companies built very good structures in Uganda. There’s one good structure which is very famous known as the Nile International Conference Centre and Hotel that was built in 1970. We also bought a number of things from Yugoslavia including boats which we still have for our marines on Lake Victoria. Unfortunately, Yugoslavia was involved in some internal issues, there was a little bit of disconnection but now I’m very glad that you are stable and you are developing and I’m back here to resume our collaboration,” President Museveni said.
H.E the President also lauded the former President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Marshal Josip Broz Tito for being the champion of the Non-Allied Movement (NAM).
“My delegation and myself are very happy to be here on your invitation. We have had very useful discussions and as I have told you, Serbia through Yugoslavia was not new to us. In the 1950s/1960s we had very good relations with Yugoslavia under Marshal Tito, and I told you how we used to follow his stand during that time, especially the neutral position he kept during the quarrel between the Soviet Union and China. They were all socialists but they had disagreements, but Marshal Tito refused to take sides and we admired him for that. Our elders like Mwalimu Nyerere, the President of Tanzania that time, was our senior person, he appreciated him so much. Marshal Tito together with Nkrumah and with Nasser of Egypt and Sukarno of Indonesia were the champions of the Non-Allied Movement (NAM),” he stressed.
The Serbian President H.E Aleksandar Vucic pledged total support and cooperation with Uganda by ensuring that the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the two countries are implemented.
He also thanked President Museveni for loving Serbia and following the history of the European country.
On the same occasion, the governments of Uganda and Serbia signed two MOUs aimed at deepening trade and Agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister of State for Trade, Hon. Harriet Ntabazi signed the economic Cooperation MOU on behalf of Uganda whereas Mr. Tomislav Momirovic, the Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade signed on behalf of Serbia. This pact will promote the economic development in the fields of mutual interests on the basis of equality between Uganda and Serbia.
The second MOU on Agriculture was signed by Ms. Jelena Tanaskovic, Serbia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and Mr. Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s Minister of State for Animal Industry.
The agreement on Agriculture will enable the two countries to cooperate in the field of promoting climate smart sustainable Agricultural practice, enhancing food security and fostering Agricultural technology transfer.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Monica Musenero, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Senior Presidential Advisor-Special Duties also chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo among others.
