By Nasser Kasozi Akandwanaho
President Museveni met and held discussions with Dr. Mahdi Safari, the Deputy Foreign Minister In Charge of Economic Diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The meeting took place at State House, Entebbe.
Museveni welcomed the partnership by the government of Iran to support Uganda especially in the health sector and promised to work with them.
“For the general pharmaceuticals, we are ready to work with you in joint ventures for any medicine. The same with the vaccine,” Museveni said.
He added that it will help Uganda develop her pathogenic industry which offers huge economic opportunities in therapeutics, diagnostics and the vaccines.
“We are already working on all those vaccines here but it will be good to work with you.”
On trade, the Ugandan president said his country has got a lot of production of goods including fresh products which Iran might be interested in and the two countries can exchange them in barter trade without going through the dollar.
In response, Dr. Safari informed his host that Uganda will be among the East African countries that the Iranian President, Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati Raisi, will visit in Africa in the near future.
“We are ready to cooperate with East African countries in trade and other developmental initiatives,” Safari told Museveni who welcomed Raisi’s visit, saying the two countries enjoy good working relations.
“It will be our honour to welcome H.E Raisi and receive him here. I have been to Iran myself about four times and I have welcomed several Presidents of Iran here. So H.E Raisi will be very welcome,” Museveni
said.
Since the beginning of his presidency, Raisi has called for increasing cooperation with Africa and recognized its material and manpower capabilities.
Dr. Safari arrived in Uganda on Tuesday, for a working visit that is intended to further strengthen bilateral relations and bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of both Uganda and Iran.
He was accompanied by Mohammad Soleymani, the Assistant Director-General for Africa, Mehdi Salehi, the Iranian Ambassador to Uganda; the Economic Director, Embassy of Iran Akbar Khorrami and Seyed Mohammad Aghamiri.
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