President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and President Carlos Manuel Vila Nova of Sao Tome and Principe have resolved to embark on a trade partnership between the two countries.
This was resolved on Thursday, October 26th, during the meeting held at State House Entebbe by the two leaders.
President Manuel Vila Nova arrived in Uganda on Thursday around 2 a.m. for a two-day working visit at the invitation of President Museveni.
The two leaders also discussed issues concerning bilateral relations between the two countries, with a key focus on economic cooperation.
President Museveni assured his guests that Uganda is ready to cooperate with São Tomé and Principe in various sectors of the economy.
“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 how we can work together. We have about 22 factories for fish processing for freshwater fish like nile perch, tilapia, and others along the shores of Lake Victoria. So, I think it would be a great idea for us to utilize that big ocean in your country and start our partnership,” said Museveni.
Museveni emphasized that people need a market because if you produce something and nobody buys it, you will not be prosperous.
“In my culture, we are cattle keepers; we have milk, beef, bananas, coffee, and ghee, but we cannot sell much to our tribemates because they also have the same products. That means that our prosperity depends more on Uganda than it depends on Ankole,” he said.
President Manuel affirmed that his country is honored to partner with Uganda in order to enhance the economies of both countries.
“I support this move; let us see how we can work together in this sector,” he noted.
“Thank you for inviting me; I am very honored to be here. As a small island country with a population of about 200,000 people, we have a lot to learn from regional leaders like you.”
While in Uganda, President Manuel will visit Kiira Motors Corporation in Jinja.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo, and the Director General of the External Security Organization (ESO), Ambassador Joseph Ocwet.
