President Yoweri Museveni has said suggested that Spain also be incorporated into Uganda’s sector of railway construction in Uganda alongside the Chinese.
Mr. Museveni made the proclamation on Tuesday while receiving the credentials of the new Spanish envoy, Mr. Javier Garcia Viedma Bernaldo De Quiros. The Chinese who are already deeply involved in that sector.
Ambassador Javier Garcia Viedma De Quiros, said that his country Spain is working to increase its economic relationship with Uganda in particular and the African continent at large taking advantage of its geographical location of being near the African continent.
“The African coastline is part of us. Cooperation for development should be strengthened because what affects Africa affects Spain too,” he said.
Last year government terminated the 25 years contract with Rift Valley Railways before taking back all assets belonging to the Uganda Railways Corporation but had been extended to the company as part of the deal before the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Frank Tumwebaze said that cabinet passed a resolution to have a heavy investment into the Uganda Railways Corporation that will operate the line together with the Standard Gauge Railway.
Meanwhile, the president received credentials of five other newly accredited envoys to Uganda.
The separate ceremonies that took place at State House, Entebbe saw the Philippine, Spanish, Colombian and Serbian Ambassadors as well as the Namibian and Australian High Commissioners present their letters of credence to the President.
Mr. Museveni warmly welcomed to Uganda Ambassador Uriel Norman Garibey of the Philippines and assured him that the Government of Uganda will extend to him all the necessary assistance to fulfil his tour of duties.
The President commended the cooperative relationship that happily exists between Namibia and Uganda as he received the credentials of the new Namibian High Commissioner Theresia Samaria saying that the two countries can learn from each other’s experience in a quest to further their respective social and economic development. He emphasized that Namibia and Uganda should always work together to put the interests of Africa first.
Mr. Museveni told High Commissioner Alison Helena Chartres from Australia that Uganda is interested in further promoting her partnership with Australia in different sectors such as investment, energy, water conservation, fisheries, education, agriculture and dairy farming to spur economic growth. He added that Uganda, one of the Great Lakes’ Region countries, offers a variety of investment opportunities.
“We need to look at stronger areas of exploitation in technology, mining and drilling, as well as laboratory equipment at regional and national levels,” he said.
High Commissioner Chartres pledged the Australian Government’s support to Uganda and the regional as a whole as regards the challenges posed by an influx of refugees.
President Museveni informed her that although there are many refugees in Uganda who are culturally interlinked, the issue is not numbers but logistics.
President Museveni and the new envoy of the South American country of Colombia, Ms. Elizabeth Taylor, discussed issues related economic growth in the two countries, ways of marketing and boosting tourism in Uganda to international standards as well as the promotion of ecotourism in Colombia.
President Museveni told the new Serbian Ambassador, Mr. Dragan Zupanjevac, that for Uganda, the rekindling of the strong relationship with the Balkan countries, where Serbia belongs, is a crucial issue.
“Let us start afresh. Like the Soviet Union and China supported Africa against colonialism, we cannot forget the old partnership with Serbia,” he noted.
