President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Photo from General Assembly of the United Nations' website

HÀ NỘI — An official visit to Việt Nam by President of the Republic of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, from November 23-25, is expected to open up cooperation opportunities between the two countries in the future.

The visit, the first by a head of State, between Việt Nam and Uganda is at the invitation of Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and marks a milestone in bilateral ties. It occurs as the two countries look towards the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (February 9, 1973).

During the visit, the two sides are scheduled to review multi-faceted cooperation and set out specific measures to raise collaboration efficiency in the future.

Việt Nam and Uganda have yet to open their embassies in each other's capital. However, bilateral relations have been developing well, from politics to economy, trade, investment and agriculture.

Việt Nam appointed King Mulenga Augustus Ceasor, a Ugandan citizen, as its Honorary Consul in Uganda in 2017.

Bilateral trade reached US$14.3 million last year, up 39.8 per cent from the previous year. Việt Nam mainly exports steel, garments-textiles, machines, equipment, spare parts, phones and components to Uganda while importing animal feed, materials, coffee, wood and timber products from the country.

As of October 2022, Uganda ran three projects worth $90,000 in HCM City, specialising in wholesale, retail, car and motorbike repairs. Meanwhile, Việt Nam has two projects on mining and construction in Uganda with a total investment capital of $35.5 million.

The two countries have coordinated and supported each other at multilateral forums, especially the United Nations.

Agriculture has been seen as a bright spot in bilateral relations. Uganda sent delegations to Việt Nam in 2018 and 2019, during which the two sides signed memoranda of understanding on cooperation in agriculture and fishery. However, ample room remains for the two countries to collaborate in these fields.

The Ugandan President's visit takes place at a time when African nations, including Uganda, attach importance to establishing and promoting cooperation with Asia-Pacific, including Việt Nam. — VNS