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Bilateral talks held; MOUs signed
There was pomp and glamour at the Vietnamese Presidential
Palace in Hanoi as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was being
welcomed by his counterpart H.E Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.
Gen Museveni was received with a State and Ceremonial Guard of
Honor by men and women in uniform.
During the 30-minute ceremony, Presidents: Museveni and
Nguyễn shook hands with the joyous people welcoming the
Ugandan leader standing by the side as a military band played the
national anthems of both countries.
President Museveni inspected the Inter-Forces Guard of Honor
before being ushered into the Palace by the leader of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam for bilateral talks. 
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H.E Nguyễn said, Vietnam has for long been following the
developments in Uganda, and thanked H.E Museveni for
maintaining political stability, social economic development and
the fight against covid 19 and of late Ebola.
“I’m confident that Uganda will achieve more in its five-year plans
of 2020/2021 to 2024 /2025 and realizing Uganda’s vision 2040
towards transforming Ugandan society from peasant to a modern
and prosperous country,” H.E Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said.
He also commended Uganda’s active contributions at regional and
international forums especially the United Nations and the African
Union. He further expressed gratitude on behalf of the people of
Vietnam for the support from the government of Uganda towards
their fight for national liberation.
“This is truly an important foundation for political trust and
cooperation for shared development between the two countries,”
H.E Nguyễn noted, adding that, “The traditional bond of friendship
and cooperation between Vietnam and Uganda has witnessed very
positive growth of late especially in the political, economic, trade
and investment domains.”
President Nguyễn informed the Ugandan delegation that Vietnam
continues to spread its cooperation with African friends including
Uganda in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between countries next year.
“Vietnam is maintaining its position among the top 20 largest
trading economies of the world,” H.E Nguyễn noted.
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President Yoweri Museveni on his part thanked his Vietnamese
counterpart for the invitation, describing his visit as an
opportunity for Pilgrimage to the heroic people of Vietnam.
“I’m very happy to be here and I thank you for inviting me. While
the Muslims go to Mecca for Pilgrimage and the Catholics go to
Rome for Pilgrimage to the Pope, we the freedom fighters come to
Vietnam as our Pilgrimage,” H.E Museveni said.
He congratulated the people of Vietnam for the struggle and
successful reconstruction of their country, saying winning political
victory is meaningless and can’t be sustained if they don’t achieve
socio-economic growth.
Gen. Museveni also informed the audience that Uganda and Africa
in general are moving forward despite the setbacks.
“It’s therefore very good that you’ve invited us here so that we can
see how we work together in the four areas of technical scientific
cooperation, agriculture, ICT and Health,” H.E Museveni noted,
adding that he’s looking forward to sharing more on boosting trade
in goods and services given the availability of market of not only in
Uganda of 43 million people but also the East African market of
300 million and the African market of 1.3 billion people.
“So, whatever you produce in Uganda can be sold in all those
countries. We have also got access to European markets and Asia,”
President Museveni said before inviting H.E Nguyễn to Uganda.
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“I’m glad his Excellency Nguyễn is aware of the non-allied
movement meeting in Uganda next year and would welcome his
Excellency to come for that meeting,” H.E Museveni said.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that
are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After
the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide
and Uganda was endorsed to chair the Non-Aligned Movement on
behalf of Africa for the period from 2022 to 2025.
The Non-Aligned Movement conference will be held in Uganda next
year in December.
Museveni was in the company of a section of his cabinet Ministers
who witnessed the highest level of visit from the Republic of
Uganda to Vietnam since the establishment of diplomatic relations
in 1973.
The two Presidents witnessed the signing of cooperation
documents in Education, Agriculture, Information
Communication Technology (ICT), and Foreign Affairs.
The leaders later witnessed the signing ceremony of
Memorandums of Understanding to further bolster the cooperation
between the two countries.
Gen. Abubaker Jeje Odongo on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Uganda and his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son
signed an agreement on exemption for Visa requirements for
holders of diplomatic and official passports. They also signed a
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Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the two
foreign ministries.
The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance of Uganda represented
by Dr Chris Baryomunsi and that of Information and
Communication of Vietnam represented by Mr Nguyen Mahn Hung
signed a Memorandum of Understanding on information and
communications.
The Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda and that of
Education and Training of Vietnam signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on Education and training. Gen Jeje Odongo
represented the Minister of Education and Sports of Uganda while
Mr Nguyen Kim Son signed on behalf of Vietnam.
Hon Frank Tumwebaze on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Animal Industries and Fisheries of Uganda and the Vietnam’s
Academy of Agricultural Sciences represented by Mr. Nguyen
Hoang Hiep signed a Memorandum of Understanding for scientific
and technical cooperation.
Other Ugandan delegates present were; The Minister of Finance,
Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, Hon.
Ntabazi Harriet, the State Minister for Trade at the Ministry of
Trade Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda’s Permanent
Representative to the United Nations Adonia Ayebare and Betty
Bigombe, the Ambassador (designate) to Asian Pacific Countries.
Earlier on, Gen Museveni paid tribute to the late Vietnamese
Revolutionary leader and President Ho Chi Minh who died in 1969.
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President Museveni laid a wreath at his mausoleum located in the
center of Ba Dinh Square near the Presidential Palace which serves
as the resting place of the former leader Ho Chi Minh whose
embalmed body lies in state, protected by a Military Honour Guard
watching over him.
Ba Dinh Square is where the late Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration
of Independence on 2nd September 1945, establishing the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Gen Museveni also paid courtesy visits to the Prime Minister of
Việt Nam Pham Minh Chinh and the Việtnam Communist Party
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The President had candid discussions with them at the Office of
the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the
office of the Prime Minister of Vietnam respectively.
On Friday, Gen Museveni is expected to visit FPT Corporation,
Vietnam’s leading IT firm, and the Vietnam Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, and officiate at the opening of the VietnamUganda Business Forum and Trade Exhibition.
The visit, the first by a head of State between Vietnam and Uganda,
is regarded as an important milestone in the bilateral ties. It takes
place in the context of the two countries looking towards the 50th
anniversary of their diplomatic ties (February 9, 1973).
President Museveni and a high-ranking delegation of the Republic
of Uganda arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam on November 23rd for a state
visit at the invitation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.