Uganda, Ireland Discuss Deepening Bilateral Ties

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gen Jeje Odongo met with Colm Brophy, Ireland's minister of state for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, to "discussed ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation between" Uganda and Ireland, the foreign affairs ministry said in a Friday statement.

Minister Brophy led a delegation to Uganda for a working visit whose "main purporse", according to the statement, is to "further bloster the cordial bilaterial relations and deepen cooperation between" the East African nation and the European country.

The Irish government has been collaborating with Uganda in a number of sectors since opening its first diplomatic mission in Uganda in 1994.

Kevin Colgan is current Irish ambassador to Uganda.

In 2019, Ireland donated two multipurpose vehicles and 10 motorcycles to support the health ministry in surveillance and logistics during the Ebola response phase.

In the same year, Carlos told the Ugandan and Irish business communities that trade between the two countries can be grown from €20.8 million where it stood at the time.

The island nation also committed €3.6 million through UN World Food Programme Uganda, with €2m going to the Refugee Response Programme and €1.6m to the School Feeding Programme in Karamoja.

“This funding will assist nearly 150,000 school children in Karamoja and over 1 million refugees in 13 refugee settlements across the country,” Ambassador Carlos said at the signing of the contract in 2019.