India, Uganda set to expand energy sector cooperation

KAMPALA: India and resource-rich Uganda on Wednesday agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector and training of personnel for space programme and peaceful use of atomic energy.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, on the second day of his visit to Uganda, held talks with President Yoweri Museveni at the State House and reviewed the “entire gamut” of bilateral cooperation. “We reviewed the entire gamut of our bilateral ties. We remain committed to working together in trade, investment, development cooperation, agriculture, IT, defence cooperation domains,” Ansari said during a joint press conference with President Museveni.

“We also agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector and training of personnel for space programme and peaceful use of atomic energy,” he said after his “very fruitful” meeting with Museveni.

“One area where emphasis was put was on vocational training for skill development,” Ansari said. As Ansari held a tete-a-tete with Museveni, senior government officials held bilateral talks with their counterparts.

President Museveni also pitched for Indian companies to manufacture automobiles locally to discourage import of cars.

“We have automobiles and other imports from India, and also machines and machine parts. But, I alerted the Vice President that in the future we should start to look out for assembling manufacturing vehicles here to discourage import of cars in East Africa,” he said.

Ansari said, “This certainly means the possibility that it would open up for Indian manufacturers and local investors. And, this is something that I would take back home to our business community.”