Uganda, Czech Republic Commit to Strengthening Bilateral Relations

Ugandan ministers led by Gen. Abubaker Jeje Odongo of the Foreign Affairs ministry met with their counterparts from the Czech Republic who were led by Martin Tlapa, the European nation’s deputy minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss how the two countries can strengthen bilateral relations.

The meeting, which was held Thursday at the foreign affairs ministry’s head office in Kampala, observed that relations between the two countries are cordial and growing stronger.

The meeting focused on how Czech and Uganda can boost cooperation in key sector areas of agriculture, infrastructural development, tourism, defense, education, and health, especially in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials, according to a statement from the ministry, agreed on the following:

• To continue cooperation in the area of Defense and security based on the existing MoU between both countries.

• To increase the trade volumes between both countries and improve their bilateral trade and strengthen economic cooperation.

• To convene a technical committee meeting for both Uganda and the Czech Republic to urgently discuss the challenges of market entry conditions and propose the best way forward to enable Ugandan products to enter the Czech Republic.

• Build infrastructure and technical capacity in the area of health, to contribute to the improvement of the health system in Uganda. • To establish a service center to offer complete solutions with regard to the hospital equipment and other medical devices supplied by the Czech Republic.

• To share and clarify the Uganda investment incentives to the private sector in the Czech Republic to enable them to consider investing in Uganda.

• To have more investment from the Czech Republic private sector to utilize opportunities in the sectors of Agriculture value addition that meet the market entry conditions for the European Union (EU).

• To continue exchanges, experience and technical consultation on wildlife conservation.

Tlapa delivered a special message from Czech President Milos Zeman to his President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Minister Odongo was accompanied by Francis Mwebesa of the Trade, Industry and Cooperatives ministry, Harriet Ntabazi (junior Trade) and Henry Musasizi (General Duties for Finance).

Martin Tlapa was accompanied by Martin Klepetko, the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Uganda; Marek Svoboda, Junior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Stephen Kaboyo, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic to Uganda.

Both parties agreed to continue having regular consultative meetings to monitor and ensure the implementation of what was agreed in different sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries, reads the ministry’s statement.