By By Godfrey Olukya 29-3-2013
President Yoweri Museveni has today met and held discussions with the
Chinese leader President Xi Jinping at the Southern Sun North Beach
Hotel in Durban South Africa at the sidelines of the 5th BRICS summit
that has been taking place under the theme,’BRICS & AFRICA
-partnership for development, integration and industrialization.’
During the meeting the Chinese leader described President Yoweri
Museveni as a true and strong statesman, a good friend of the Chinese
people and a true witness of Chinese – Africa friendship that dates to
pre- independence period. He noted that Chinese diplomatic relations
with Uganda made 50 years last year just as Uganda marked her Jubilee
year of independence.
President Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen these ties even further and
extended a grant of 50 million Chinese yuan to support projects
mutually identified and agreed upon between the two countries.
He said practical economic cooperation was at the centre of these
bilateral relations, noting that China was already committed to the
Kampala – Entebbe Express motor way, oil and gas, trade and tourism
and other projects in the country.
On trade imbalance between the two countries, the Chinese leader said
his country had extended 95% a tarriff-free regime to Ugandan exports
to China up from 60% and will continue to encourage Chinese Companies
to import Ugandan Products.
President Museveni hailed the existing cooperation between the two
countries that has thrived since the period of Chairman Mao Tsetung
and said Uganda welcomed Chinese participation in the country’s
energy, petroleum and hydro power sectors. He invited Chinese to
invest in the vast phosphate deposits for the supply of fertilizers to
the region and beyond.
He invited President Xi Jinping to come to Uganda when he next visits
Africa which invitation was gladly accepted and the Chinese leader in
turn invited President Museveni to visit China at a convenient time.
Initially, President Yoweri Museveni was this afternoon received by
the South African President Dr. Jacob Zuma at Dr. John Dube House the
official residence of the President in Durban.
President Zuma welcomed President Museveni to South Africa and thanked
him for honoring his invitation to attend the 5th BRICS Summit and for
effectively representing Uganda, the East African Community, the
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the International
Conference on the Great Lakes Region for which he is the Chairman.
The two leaders discussed wide ranging issues of bilateral concern
between their two countries and people.
END