Strong diplomatic ties between Turkey and Uganda can foster economic and trade relations between the two countries, a Turkish minister has said.
Dr. Mehmet Mus, the Turkish Trade Minister, said that relations between Uganda and Turkey have been developing on the basis of a sincere friendship in key sectors of trade, investment and technological transfer.
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“The historical visit of our president to Uganda in 2016 marked an important milestone in our relations, setting forward an ambitious road map and defining new economic and commercial goals,” he said.
The minister was speaking in Ankara on Monday evening as the Ugandan Embassy celebrated the country’s 60th independence anniversary.
In 2021, trade between Turkey and Uganda reached $72 million. And according to Dr Mehmet, bilateral trade between the two countries continues to grow steadily.
He also said his country’s cooperation with Africa is based on mutual interests.
“Our African partnership strategy based on what we call a “win-win” principle, proudly has yielded great success throughout the last two decades,” he said. “Our trade volume with the Continent, which was 54 billion dollars in 2003, increased to 345 billion dollars in 2021. The total value of our business people’s direct investments across Africa has exceeded 6 billion dollars and the volume of the projects undertaken in Africa by the Turkish contractors is more than 83 billion dollars,” he added.
Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of regional cooperation John Mulimba, who presided over the event, said Kampala values the relationship between both countries which he said has grown from strength to strength since both countries opened missions in each other’s capitals in 2010 and 2011.
“The relations between the two countries are regulated by cooperation frameworks in the areas which include Trade and Tourism, Military and Defense, Security, Energy, Education, and Parliamentary democracy,” he said.
The Ugandan Minister said that both the Uganda Embassy in Ankara and the Turkish Embassy in Kampala have facilitated trade and investment between the two countries, and as a result, the bilateral trade volume has increased from US 32m in 2017 to US71m in 2021
Mulimba also said Uganda seeks to partner with Turkey in the area of agriculture in order to benefit from its experience and expertise.
He also urged Turkish companies to invest and do business in Uganda citing a calm investment environment among other incentives.
