Ugandan President's official visit to open up more cooperation opportunities
VOV.VN - The official visit to Vietnam by President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni represents a major milestone in bilateral ties between the two sides, opening up fresh opportunities to boost links across a variety of fields.
The visit represents the first made by a head of State of either country and is taking place amid both nations looking towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties which were originally established on February 9, 1973.
The purpose of the trip is primarily to strengthen bilateral relations, review all-around co-operation, and outline specific measures to raise the overall efficiency of collaboration moving forward.
Uganda first established diplomatic relations with Vietnam on February 9, 1973. In historical terms, Ugandan leaders and its people actively supported the Vietnamese people's resistance war against the United States for national salvation.
The two countries have yet to open embassies in each other's capitals, although, bilateral relations have been enjoying steady growth, from politics to economics, trade, investment, and agriculture.
Vietnam appointed King Mulenga Augustus Ceasor, a Ugandan citizen, as its Honorary Consul in Uganda in 2017.
Last year witnessed two-way trade hit US$14.3 million, marking a year-on-year rise of 39.8%. Vietnam primarily exports steel, garments-textiles, machines, equipment, spare parts, as well as phones and components to Uganda, while importing animal feed, materials, coffee, along with wood and timber products from the East African country.
As of October, Uganda ran three projects worth US$90,000 in Ho Chi Minh City, primarily specialising in wholesale and retail, and car and motorbike repairs. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese side launched two projects on mining and construction in Uganda with a total investment capital of US$35.5 million.
The two countries have therefore co-ordinated and offered mutual support at multilateral forums, especially the UN.
Agriculture is widely viewed as a bright spot in bilateral relations. Indeed, Uganda sent delegations to Vietnam in 2018 and 2019, during which the two sides inked a memoranda of understanding on co-operation in agriculture and fishery. There is ample room for the two countries to step up their collaboration in these fields.
The Ugandan President’s visit takes place at a time when African nations, including Uganda, attach great importance to establishing and promoting co-operation with the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam.