The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, has expressed confidence that the Third Session of the Uganda-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation will serve as a springboard for an invigorated partnership between both countries.
Gen Odongo said Uganda has been looking forward to this moment, where both countries are bound by a history of loyal friendship and mutual respect built on the strong foundation of shared interests and values spanning over several decades.
‘As Uganda pursues its quest for higher middle-income status, it seeks Russian investment and expertise in key sectors to enable the East African country to grow and transform its economy,’ Gen Odongo said while officially opening the session in Kampala on Wednesday.
He added: ‘We seek Russian experience in advanced scientific research, digital innovation, and even space science, to help us leapfrog basic stages of development. Above all, we recognise that education and human capital remain our greatest assets, and we aspire to obtain more training opportunities and student exchanges for our youth.
‘To the Russian business community, Uganda offers immense opportunities for trade and investment in all sectors. The East African Community (EAC), of which Uganda is a member, has a market of over 330 million people for which your investments can supply. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers you a market of 1.4 billion people and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeding $3 trillion. Please come and take advantage of the opportunities that these big markets offer,’ he said.
Gen Odongo further pledged Uganda’s full commitment to implementing the different memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that were signed at this session, and support for their full operationalisation.
The Russian side of the Commission was headed by Ms Bella Cherkesova, the deputy minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, who said to regularly ‘check the clock’, a new format of dialogue was created last year. This is a conference with the participation of the foreign ministers of African states and Russia.
‘We are now preparing for the second meeting, which will take place in Cairo in November,’ Ms Cherkesova said.
Speaking at the media launch for this session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Kampala last week, Uganda’s ambassador to Russia, Mr Moses Kizige, said at least 25 MoUs were lined up for review and signing, while his Russian counterpart, Vladlen Semivolos, said they anticipate discussions on practical issues of the cooperation.
Background
This week’s session follows a similar agreement signed between both countries on May 19, in Kampala, and the second commission held in Moscow, Russia, on May 23, 2018.
Since then, there has been an urgent call for a third session by Uganda, which was brought to the attention of President Museveni during a meeting held with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Sergey Lavrov, at State House, Entebbe, on July 26, 2022.
At this meeting, President Museveni directed that the third session of the Commission be convened by Uganda in the intervening periods, especially the last quarter of 2024. However, due to financial constraints, that could not be achieved.