Museveni, Rajapaska discuss trade, development

By Vision Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has received the visiting President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,  Mahinda Rajapaksa at State House Entebbe.

Rajapaska is on a four day official visit to the country.

President Rajapaksa who is in the country for the Commonwealth Local Government Conference was introduced to a welcoming party comprising of service chiefs before he inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by officers and men of the UPDF and Police.

He received a 21 gun salute and was later introduced to the government welcoming party comprised of government officials from Uganda and Sri Lanka.

The two leaders held tete a tete meeting and signed the visitors book before joining a bilateral meeting for a briefing by the the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the respective countries;  Prof. Gl Peiris and Sam Kutesa. The briefing was attended by various ministers from Uganda.

Museveni hailed his counterpart President Rajapaksa for his country’s commitment to upgrade the Masuulita Training school through the Ministry of Education and called for more trade relations by investing in the textile industry in Uganda and promoting rubber growing.

“We also produce a lot of tea and milk. Your country should consider importing from us so that your consumers have a choice. Am also very interested in rubber and rubber trees which are very good for the environment,” he said.

He called on Sri Lanka to consider Entebbe airport as one of their destinations to promote trade and tourism between the two countries. The President expressed Uganda’s support to Sri Lanka which will be hosting the upcoming CHOGM summit and said he would attend the summit.

He called for a stronger relationship between the two countries especially in the areas of Defence training and cooperation.