President Museveni during talks with the European Union’s Federica Mogherini in Addis Ababa.
ADDIS ABABA (Ethiopia), Feb 11 (NNN-NEW VISION) — Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the European Union (EU) that peace in the entire East African region will prevail as member countries’ leadership continues to strengthen their working relationship.
“Peace in the region is getting better. Part of the problem in the region; South Sudan, Burundi was because we have not been working together. That was the source of the problem,” he said.
Museveni was meeting with the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, also the vice president of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, at the sidelines of the African Union heads of state summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In Burundi, Museveni said, there is no more fresh fighting and that the country’s leadership is working more closely with its regional counterparts as witnessed in the recently-held East African Community summit in Arusha, Tanzania.
“I am leading the peace process in Burundi and I know that what is disrupting the peace process. We will work to resolve this,” he said.
Museveni told Mogherini that Europe being closer to the African continent compared to other developed countries, there should be a good relationship between the two partners with solutions for co-existence on matters of substance, not periphery issues.
“We are grateful for the support from EU and for development and trade. It’s very important for more energy to be unleashed,” he said.
The President further emphasised that Uganda’s economy is steadily growing, addressing the removal of development bottlenecks through infrastructure development; the railway, electricity, digital and utilities.
Mogherini told Museveni that Europe is accommodative and will strengthen trade and business relations with Africa.
“Europe has quite a lot of interests in Africa,” she said. — NNN-NEW VISION