Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda officiated the inauguration of Ukraine’s Honorary Consulate in Kampala at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. The event marks a step to strengthen diplomatic, trade, and investment ties between Uganda and Ukraine.
Babalanda described the relations between the two countries as “anchored on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect and adherence to international law.” She highlighted economic opportunities, noting Ukraine’s expertise in large-scale agriculture, grain production, farm mechanization, irrigation systems, and agro-processing aligns with Uganda’s push for agricultural modernization and value addition. She also pointed to potential in Uganda’s growing industrial parks, pharmaceuticals, and light industry.
The minister reiterated Uganda’s call for an end to the war in Ukraine. “I wish to add to Uganda’s voice to the need to end this conflict because it has caused untold suffering to the country and has had devastating effects across the globe,” she said. “All efforts should be geared to bringing this sad and unfortunate situation to an end, and Uganda will support all efforts geared to this direction.”
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Yurii Tokar, attended and addressed the gathering. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Ukraine today faces one of the most serious challenges in its modern history,” he said. “We are defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity and we are currently under a full war of aggression. This war has tested our resilience as a state, as an institution and as a society, yet our country continues to function, our economy adapts, our diplomacy remains active and our international partnerships expand.”
The newly appointed Honorary consulate of Uganda to Ukraine Jay Patel spoke on shared growth potential. “Uganda and Ukraine share a common vision for growth,” he said. “We see vast potential in agricultural value addition, moving beyond raw exports and processing, and technology exchange, whether it is Ukrainian machinery helping Ugandan farmers increase their yield or seeing world-class Ugandan coffee and tea reaching Ukrainian homes.”
The new Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Uganda will prioritize trade, investment, and industry, particularly in agriculture. Attendees, including diplomats, Ugandan ministry officials, and business leaders from both countries, were urged to use the consulate for business delegations, market intelligence, and commercial activities. Notable attendees included Hon. David Bahati, Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Industry). Hon. Jeje Odong, Minister of Foreign Affairs, was recognized in absentia.
The Honorary Consulate in Kampala supports the Embassy of Ukraine in Nairobi, which handles primary diplomatic and consular matters for Uganda.
