STATE HOUSE, ENTEBBE: Uganda and the European Union are not adversaries and should focus on strengthening their shared goals, President Museveni has said.
The President made the remarks today (Thursday) at a meeting with European Union envoys at State House Entebbe. The envoys were led by their head of delegation, Attilio Pacifici.
Others were Per Lindgarde of Sweden, William Carlos (Ireland), Rudi Veestraeten (Belgium), Jules Armand Ania Mbossou (France), Nicolaj Itejberg Peterson (Denmark), Massimiliano Mazzanti (Italy), Mathias Schauer (Germany), Karin Boven (Netherlands) and Dr. Roswitha Kremser of Austria.
“For us we don’t see you as enemies, remove all the diversions and concentrate on the shared goals and help one another for the prosperity of our people,” said President Museveni.
President Museveni, who reminded the envoys of the political history of Africa in general and Uganda in particular, also discussed a wide range of issues with his guests covering political, social and economic sectors.
The President however cautioned the envoys against involvement in matters that they are not conversant with, something that could have “serious consequences”.
“By involving yourselves in matters that you don’t understand, even if you do understand, you should not get involved because this kind of misconduct can lead to many serious consequences and suffering of the people like it happened in some African countries,” he said.
The meeting comes nearly a week after the European Parliament called on its member countries to “take advantage of the political leverage provided by development aid programmes, namely budget support programmes, to enhance the defence and promotion of human rights in Uganda.”
The MPs also resolved that sanctions should be imposed against Ugandan officials and organisations responsible for human rights violations in Uganda.
The bloc further threatened to limit its cooperation with the Government of Uganda in the future, if the latter remained unwilling to implement a number of reforms relating to human rights and good governance.
Observers say the recent elections have caused bad blood between Uganda and the international community.
While the EU has for many years provided grants to government worth millions of dollars, European companies also benefit from carrying out business in Uganda.
Consult
During today’s meeting, President Museveni advised the envoys to always consult with government officials incase they want clarification on any issues.
He promised to share with the envoys a report on the investigations being carried out by security agencies following the November 2020 riots in Kampala and other urban areas where lives were lost.
The envoys appreciated the cordial and friendly relationship existing between the European Union and Uganda.
Ambassador Per Lindgarde of Sweden expressed their readiness to continue supporting development programmes in Uganda.
The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa and other senior government officials.
The EU has been supporting Uganda’s immediate stability by helping it to deal with the pressures arising on the one hand from the still fragile Northern regions of the country, and on the other hand from the huge number of refugees it is hosting under a generous refugee policy, thereby reducing migratory pressures on Europe.
The EU also provides grants for strengthening Uganda’s long-term stability by enhancing the capacity of the State to deliver good governance, democracy and rule of law including developing anti-corruption policies, promoting dialogue on human rights and encouraging planning and mobilisation of domestic resources.
src: ChimpReports