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President Museveni Meets Prime Ministers of Thailand and Japan

L-R: President Museveni meets Premier Shinawatra, September 26, 2003

President Yoweri Museveni visited Thailand on a working visit, September 26-28, 2003 and held talks with the Thai Prime Minister Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok, on September 26, 2003. The President and the Thai Premier discussed the enhancement of economic cooperation between their two countries, particularly in the areas of trade and investments.

President Museveni told the Thai Premier that he was looking for investors who could add value to Uganda’s abundant raw materials taking advantages of the investor-friendly economic policies in place. He observed that there has been tremendous transformation from agriculture to manufaturing in Thailand which the Ugandan delegation could learn from.

Prime Minister Shinawatra assured the President that his country and the Royal Thai government were ready to discuss all ways of promoting mutual prosperity of the two peoples. He thanked President Museveni for visiting Thailand and accepted his invitation to make a reciprocal visit to Uganda.

The President addressed the Thai Federation of Industries led by its Chairman, Mr. Phodhirorakhun. He invited Thai entreprenuers to invest in Uganda and share their experiences with their Ugandan counterparts in areas such as agroprocessing, fresh water fisheries, mineral exploitation, tourism and human resource based information technology.

President Museveni later visited the Gold Mine Garment factory near Bangkok where he was received by the Managing Director, Mr. C. Suchart. The factory, has annual turn over of US$25 million. President Museveni held separate meetings with the Thai Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking, and the Directors of several Thai Industrial Investment Companies.

The President was accompanied by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Hon. Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, the Ministers of State for Investment and International Affairs, Hon. Sam Kutesa and Hon. Tom Butime respectively, and the Honorary Consul of Thailand in Uganda, Mr. James Mulwana.

The delegation also included several Ugandan businessmen and manufacturers led by Mr. M. Alam, Chairman of Uganda Manufacturers Association.

Visit To Japan

The President and Prime Minister Koizumi, September 30, 2003

From Thailand President Museveni proceeded to Tokyo, Japan for a three day working visit during which he attended TICAD. He also held bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on September 30, 2003 at the Prime Minister’s office. The talks centred on trade relations between Uganda and Japan and the need to encourage Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in Uganda.

President Museveni met the President of Japan International Bank for Cooperation, Mr. Kyosuke Shinozawa who called on him to discuss financial support for Japanese investors in Uganda and advisory banking services in the framework of the Uganda-Japan co-operation.

The President met the in-coming Chairperson of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), and former Director General of UNHCR, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, and the Chairman of Tokushukai Medial Corporation Dr. Torao Tokuda with whom he signed a memorandum of understanding for building of a modern high tech Hospital in Kampala. The investment value of the facility is expected to be about $110 million. It will offer medical research and treatment of Ugandans who have been going abroad for specialised medicare.

While in Japan, the President held separate bilateral talks with Presidents Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique. President Museveni also received the General Manager and C.E.O. of Stolt Cocoon, Mr. Junya Nakano whose company is the biggest importer of Uganda’s Nile Perch fillet to Japan. The Company pointed out that Uganda’s Nile Pearch was in great demand in Japan, and that 50% of all the Nile Pearch imported into Japan is from Uganda.

He later held talks with the Irish Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr. Tom Kitt. They discussed Irish development assistance to Uganda and how the developed countries could further assist the developing countries to access their markets.

The Minister of Health, Hon. Jim Muhwezi, State Minister for Investment, Hon. Sam Kutesa, Uganda’s Ambassador to Japan, Amb. James Baba and the Director General of Medical Services, Prof. Francis Omaswa ccompanied the President to Japan.

In a related development, Japan upgraded its representation in Uganda to Ambassadorial level. The new resident Japanese Ambassador, H.E. Nobuaki Ito presented his credentials to Preseident Museveni on December 12, 2003 at State House, Kampala.

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