President Museveni has urged European countries to support African industries, saying local processing, affordable electricity and stronger trade could create jobs and expand markets on both continents.
President Museveni has urged European countries to support Africa in processing its raw materials into finished products, saying value addition would create jobs, increase export earnings and strengthen trade between the two continents.
Museveni made the remarks on Wednesday after hosting European Union ambassadors led by the bloc’s ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek, at State House Entebbe for a Partnership Dialogue.
The President said African countries needed to move away from exporting raw materials and invest in industries capable of transforming their natural resources into products that command higher prices on international markets.
“I emphasised that Europe should support Africa to process its raw materials, add value and create jobs,” Museveni said.
He argued that higher earnings from African exports would also benefit European countries by expanding demand for goods manufactured in Europe.
“When we earn more from our products, we also create a bigger market for European goods. This is how we become partners in prosperity rather than victims of cooperation,” he said.
Museveni said the discussions with the EU ambassadors also covered support for the Parish Development Model (PDM), irrigation, wetland protection and access to affordable electricity for manufacturing.
He identified affordable electricity as a key requirement for industrial growth, particularly as Uganda seeks to expand manufacturing and process more of its locally available raw materials.
The President also called for cooperation between Africa and Europe to be based on mutual benefit and respect for the sovereignty of African countries, arguing that economic development on the continent could create opportunities for both sides.
“Africa’s prosperity is good for everyone, and our cooperation should be based on mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty,” Museveni said.
He thanked the ambassadors for the visit and said he had enjoyed the discussions.
The meeting was attended by ministers and officials, including retired Major General Kahinda Otafiire, Adonia Ayebare, Frank Tumwebaze and Norbert Mao.