President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today June 2nd afternoon met and held a meeting with the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek and his delegation as we reflected on 50 years of partnership between Uganda and the European Union.
The meeting took place at State House Entebbe and President Museveni welcomed this long-standing collaboration and emphasized the need for Europe and other partners to support Africa’s industrialization and value-addition agenda.
The President emphasized that Africa cannot continue exporting raw materials while importing finished products if it is to achieve prosperity for the people.
“A richer and more prosperous Africa is good for business, investment, and trade for both our continents,” President Museveni emphasized.
The President encouraged the European friends to work with Ugandans in unlocking Africa’s enormous economic potential through value addition, industrialization and infrastructure development.
Uganda and the European Union are celebrating 50 years of formal diplomatic relations, marking a shift from traditional development aid toward an investment- and trade-led partnership.
Over the past five decades, the European Union has provided over €5 billion in development support to Uganda, with current initiatives focusing on sustainable infrastructure and economic growth.
Core pillars of the partnership include trade and value addition where the European Union remains one of Uganda’s largest export markets for coffee, fish and minerals.Â
Both Uganda and European Union are emphasizing a transition away from exporting raw materials in favor of local industrialization and value-addition and this includes specific programs like the €44 million EU initiative to improve Uganda’s coffee value chain.
In the Energy and Climate Action, the European Union Global Gateway strategy, is backing energy projects, including the rehabilitation of the Nalubaale-Kira hydropower plant, while in investment, the EU is prioritizing a massive investment roadmap aimed at mineral processing, digital innovation and private sector growth to support Uganda’s economic development trajectory.
