China president congratulates Museveni

President Xi Jinping of China has congratulated president-elect Yoweri Museveni on his re-election during the February 18 polls.

In the February 25-letter channeled through the Chinese embassy to Museveni, Xi Jinping says that Museveni's re-election would take the China-Uganda relations a notch higher.

He also describes the China-Africa as a win-win affair based on the cooperation agreements that China and Africa agreed on during the Second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in December last year.

The Chinese President says that with the election of Museveni, Uganda would register huge milestones in terms of development.

 "On the occasion of Your Excellency's successful re-election as the next President of the Republic of Uganda, I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the China Government and People and in my own name. I trust that the Ugandan Government and People under your leadership will make greater achievements in the cause of national development," he says.

Xi Jinping states that when Museveni visited China in March last year, consensus on deepening all-round friendly and mutually beneficial bilateral ties between Uganda and China was reached.

On the China-Africa cooperation, Xi Jinping says: "During the Johannesburg summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China and Africa both agreed to unanimously open a new era of China-Africa win-win cooperation and common development."

"I attach great importance to the development of China-Uganda and China-Africa relations and wish to work together with Your Excellency to implement results of the Johannesburg summit and push our bilateral relations to new highs," he adds in his letter.

Several leaders, including those from the East African Community member states, have sent congratulatory messages to Museveni.

Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) are among the leaders who have sent messages to Museveni.

Museveni was on February 20 declared winner of the February 18 presidential poll by the Electoral Commission (EC).  He got 60.75%, while his closest challenger rival, Dr. Col. Kizza Besigye, polled 35.4%.

Other countries that have congratulated Museveni include; Ethiopia, Russia, Algeria, Egypt, Somalia, South Sudan and Tanzania.