President Museveni and his wife pose with Iceland President Olafur Grimsson and his wife at Bessastadir, the official residence of the Iceland president. The schoolgirl in the centre presented the flowers to Janet Museveni

By Cyprian Musoke

President Yoweri Museveni has invited Iceland entrepreneurs to invest in Uganda’s priority areas such as infrastructure, energy and agro-processing for the export market.

Speaking at a state dinner at State House Reykjavik on Wednesday evening, the President of Iceland, Olafur Ragner Grimsson, Museveni thanked Iceland for the development and humanitarian assistance extended to Uganda in adult literacy, energy, fisheries and scientific research.

Museveni is in Iceland on a three-day state visit and is accompanied by his wife, Janet and foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa.

He told his host that the “assistance has greatly contributed towards the vision for ‘Prosperity For All’, which is aimed at raising household incomes, especially for the rural poor”.

He commended Iceland for making great strides in geo-thermal energy, hydro- power, ICT and in fisheries, adding that Uganda would like to share their experience in these areas.

He said he was impressed by their social, economic and political transformation and said his government’s aim was to transform Uganda from a peasant, pre-industrial society to a knowledge-based industrial society.

He also assured Grimsson that Uganda would support his country’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council slot, saying Uganda shared the same vision of serving on the council.

He invited President Grimsson to Uganda and the invitation was accepted.

Grimsson, who was accompanied by his wife, Madame Moussaieff, saluted the people of Uganda and hoped “the growing co-operation between the two countries will be a model for others to emulate and a demonstration of how we can work together for a more successful common future for our people.”

He said Museveni’s visit was a demonstration of the desired goal of close collaboration in geo-thermal resources, fishing and ICT, where Iceland has a comparative advantage.

He assured the President that Iceland would co-operate with Uganda to achieve the desired collaboration.

He told Museveni that the African people, through the Organisation of African Unity, supported the Icelandic cause for freedom and sent a delegation of solidarity to Iceland in support of the struggle of independence.

He said in welcoming Museveni and his delegation, he was paying “tribute to the vision of the African leaders who decades ago, understood that solidarity across oceans was essential in building a progressive global community”.

The State dinner was attended by the Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir Haardes, Uganda’s ambassador to Denmark and Iceland Joseph Tomusange and two Ugandan MPs, John Odit for Erute South and Mubende woman MP Najjuma Kassasa, who accompanied Museveni.

The First Ladies visited Alftanesskoli Community School Reykjavik, one of the oldest schools in the city that was established in 1889. It has a collaborative scheme with some schools in northern Uganda.

Museveni and his wife visited Hellisheida geothermal energy plant outside Reykjavik. The plant produces 120MW of electricity for the capital city. It has a potential capacity of 800MW.