President Museveni Meets Outgoing French Ambassador, Calls for Global Cooperation

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday held a farewell meeting with the outgoing French Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Xavier Sticker, at State House Entebbe.

During the meeting, President Museveni emphasized the importance of global cooperation, calling on Western nations to partner with Africa in promoting equitable development and strengthening trade relations.

“We need to unite to make the world great,” President Museveni remarked, stressing the urgency of addressing global disparities that hinder progress in both developing and developed nations.

He underscored the need for balanced trade, encouraging Western countries to import Uganda’s value-added products such as textiles and processed dairy goods. “While we purchase machinery and industrial raw materials from the West, we also encourage the importation of our finished goods. This supports job creation and economic growth here in Uganda,” he said.

President Museveni expressed satisfaction with the cordial relations between Uganda and France, highlighting the partnership with TotalEnergies in the development of the Lake Albert oil fields as a sign of fruitful collaboration.

“I deliberately selected TotalEnergies, a partner with CNOOC Limited in the Lake Albert oil development, and I’m glad they are investing,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to attracting strategic investments for Uganda’s economic transformation.

Ambassador Sticker, who is set to assume a new role as the European Union Ambassador to Guinea-Conakry, expressed gratitude for the warm relations and constructive engagement he experienced during his tenure in Uganda. He called for deeper future collaboration between the two countries.

“Uganda and France have enjoyed a long-standing and dynamic relationship. It is crucial that we continue to deepen our mutual understanding, facilitate community mobility, and build shared interests between our nations,” he said.

Ambassador also commended President Museveni’s dedication to Uganda’s coffee sector, noting its pivotal role in generating national revenue. He further encouraged the expansion of French business operations in Uganda, including the establishment of local factories to support industrial growth and employment.