President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last evening held bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the ongoing second Russia-Africa Summit in the Russian City of Saint Petersburg.
During the meeting, President Museveni outlined areas of cooperation with Russia that include oil exploration, nuclear power energy, fertilizers, the Pathogenic economy, electric batteries, and Space science that would enable Uganda to have its own dedicated satellite.
Museveni also proposed to his host, President Putin to discourage by policy the importing of raw materials from Africa but instead work with the African governments to add value to products at source as this would transform the economies of the continent in a very short time; from low middle income to high middle-income status.
President Putin on his part said that Russia remains committed to strengthening cooperation between Russia and Africa in economic, political, security, trade, and humanitarian areas.
He said that Uganda remains one of the Russian key partners and allies on the African continent with the diplomatic relationship that stretched over 60 years.
President Putin further said that he was happy that Uganda and Russia have close positions in the international arena that he said is based on the commitment to shaping a just world that is accommodative to everyone and expressed happiness that Uganda was to chair the non-allied movement.
