Hon Sam Kutesa met with Zhang Ming, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China earlier today, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Vice-Minister is in Uganda on a two-day official visit and is scheduled to meet President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday at State House.
Hon Kutesa hailed relations with China, recalling that during the FOCAC Summit in Johannesburg in 2015, China had pledged $60bn for African Development Programmes.
Zhang said that the Chinese Government is interested in discussing with various African governments the follow up and implementation to the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit outcomes.
This year, being the mid-point for the financing period, means that there is one and a half years left.
He announced that half of the 60bn US$ that was earmarked for Africa by China had already been committed leaving 30bn US$ unspent.
The current Ugandan projects being undertaken in the infrastructure and energy sectors since December 2015 as well as the on-going negotiations for the Standard Gauge Railway are part of the FOCAC commitments.
He expressed interest in further cooperation with Uganda in increasing Industrial Training and Skills capacity Building. Under the South-South Cooperation Framework, he said that China would engage in developing Uganda’s Agricultural Sector particularly in the areas of Animal Husbandry and cultivation and development of Industrial Parks. He also hoped to see more Chinese visit Uganda to explore the different Tourist attractions.
Recalling that Foreign Ministries shoulder the responsibility for fostering friendship and cooperation in all areas, he extended an invitation to the leadership at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to visit the People’s Republic of China.
The two Ministers discussed developments in the region and in the international arena. Hon. Kutesa took the opportunity to brief his guest about the June 22-23 Solidarity Conference on Refugees, and invited the Chinese Government to participate.
