Aamir Aamer

Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, received Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirate (UAE) in the presence of Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, and Jeje Odongo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the beginning of Sheikh Abdullah’s working visit to Uganda.

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah conveyed the greetings of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, to the Ugandan President, along with their wishes for development and prosperity for the Republic of Uganda and its people.

For his part, President Museveni extended his greetings to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, and his wishes for further progress and prosperity for the UAE.

The Ugandan President welcomed the visit of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and the accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in the economic, commercial, investment and energy sectors.

Sheikh Abdullah expressed his pride in visiting Uganda and meeting President Museveni, emphasizing the strength of the UAE’s distinguished relations with Uganda, which offer promising opportunities and growth potential across key sectors that support both countries’ development agendas and sustainable economic goals.

His Highness also emphasized the UAE’s commitment to advancing sustainable development partnerships with friendly African countries in a manner that fosters mutual benefit and prosperity.

Following the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah and the Ugandan President witnessed the signing of six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the two countries.

The first MoU, on investment cooperation, was signed by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Matia Kasaija, Ugandan Minister of Finance.

The second MoU, between the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, was signed by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan and the Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The third MoU – between the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Government of Uganda, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, on cooperation in the field of energy – was signed by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, and Ruth Nankabirwa, Ugandan Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.

The fourth MoU, on mutual exemption from entry visa requirements, was signed by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Major General Kahinda Otafiire, Ugandan Minister of Internal Affairs.

The fifth MoU, between Etihad Rail and the Government of Uganda, was signed by Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and General Katumba Wamala, Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport.

The sixth MoU was signed between the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) and the Emirati Company Presight, which specialises in big data analysis and artificial intelligence. It covers cooperation in digital transformation, cybersecurity innovation, e-governance systems and the development of cloud infrastructure. The agreement was signed by Muhammad Shameen Hosenbocus, Vice President of Africa Markets at Presight, and Dr. Hatwib Mugasa, Executive Director of NITA-Uganda.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic and Trade Affairs, and Abdullah Hassan Obaid Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Uganda.

Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business | Life Magazine, Abu Dhabi

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UAE: From Desert to Dynasty

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Abu Dhabi

Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, headed the UAE delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was held from 17th to 18th January, in the capital of the Republic of Uganda, Kampala. The meeting was held in preparation for the 19th summit of the Movement.

During his speech, Al Marar expressed his gratitude to Uganda’s government for hosting the event, and congratulated its leadership on securing the Presidency for the term 2024-2027. He also expressed his gratitude to the Republic of Azerbaijan for its efforts during its presidential term of the previous session.

Al Marar affirmed the UAE’s commitment to the principles and vision of the movement, and to reinforcing multilateralism and cooperation to confront challenges and achieve common goals based on the principles of international law, as well as the objectives of the UN Charter, in addition to the friendly relations between countries, and resolving conflicts in peaceful ways. In addition, he underscored the UAE’s commitment to consolidating a culture of peace, refraining from the use of force and interference in countries’ internal affairs, respecting countries’ sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence, and resolving disputes peacefully according to the UN charter and international law.

Read also: Non-Aligned Movement criticizes Israel’s war on Gaza at Kampala summit

Al Marar emphasized the UAE’s unwavering and steadfast position on the issue of the three Emirati islands occupied by Iran, which demonstrates support for peaceful efforts and initiatives that aim to resolve the issue through bilateral negotiations or accepting to refer the case to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the principles and rules of international law.

The UAE Minister of State also addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the UAE’s priority is to work towards reaching a ceasefire, safeguarding the lives of civilians, providing sufficient and sustainable relief and medical aid, and to avoid a regional spillover that would threaten security and stability in the region.

In this regard, Al Marar reviewed the UAE’s endeavors within the “Gallant Knight 3” initiative, and the substantial and continuous relief sent to civilians in the Gaza Strip, as well as the diplomatic efforts and calls since the outbreak of the crisis in the Strip, that seek to halt escalation, reach a cease-fire, restore peace, and prevent further loss of life. He reiterated the UAE’s successful efforts during its non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council in adopting resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023).

With regard to developments in Sudan, he emphasized that diplomatic action has always been, and continues to be, aligned with efforts to call for restraint, de-escalation, and action to end the conflict.

Furthermore, Al Marar referred to the UAE’s successful hosting of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), where the historic ‘UAE Consensus’ was adopted, which included an unprecedented declaration to address the repercussions of climate change, in addition to the announcement of a special fund with the value of US$30 billion for climate solutions worldwide to bridge the financing gap. The event also delivered a historic negotiated outcome to operationalize Loss and Damage with a contribution exceeding US$550 million, and supported the health sector across the African continent with a fund with the value of US$220 million, in addition to concluding important agreements that aim to contribute to advancing climate action.

Al Marar underscored that the UAE will host the World Government Summit under the theme ‘Shaping the Future Governments’ from 12th to 14th February, bringing together government leaders, global experts and decision-makers to discuss the necessary tools and policies for the procedures of future governments. The country will also host the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Abu Dhabi from 26th to 29th February, to give new impetus to the future of the organization and the multilateral trading system.

Moreover, Al Marar stressed the importance of securing freedom of trade and the free flow of goods and services worldwide, and of rejecting protectionist policies and barriers, in order to reduce inflationary pressures and provide flexible and sustainable supply chains. He underscored the necessity of collective action to confront global challenges, to reduce risks to freedom of trade and maritime commercial transport and confront threats to freedom of maritime navigation, especially by non-state actors and terrorist organizations. Al Marar also highlighted the significance of all countries working in solidarity to protect maritime navigation and vital maritime straits within the framework of stable international law and rules.

Published under the International Cooperation Protocol with Middle East Business

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Photo Courtesy: Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua

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