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Kampala, Uganda — Diplomats, government officials, development partners, private sector leaders, and representatives of civil society gathered in Kampala on Thursday evening as the European Union marked Europe Day 2026 alongside the 50th anniversary of diplomatic partnership between Uganda and the EU. Hosted by Amb. Jan Sadek at his Residence, the celebration brought together ambassadors and representatives of all EU member states accredited to Uganda, senior Ugandan government officials, international organisations, cultural actors, youth representatives, and members of the diplomatic corps in what became both a symbolic and policy-oriented reflection on five decades of cooperation.
This year’s celebration carried significance beyond the annual commemoration of Europe Day. It also marked half a century since the then-European Community formally established its delegation in Kampala in 1976, laying the foundation for a relationship that has evolved through political transitions, economic reforms, regional integration, and shifting global realities. Addressing guests, Ambassador Sadek reflected on the historical meaning of Europe Day, tracing its origins to the 1950 Schuman Declaration, proposed by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in the aftermath of the Second World War. He noted that the idea behind European integration was to ensure that conflict between European nations would become “not merely unlikely, but unthinkable.” “Since then, the European Union has grown into one of the world’s most successful peace and integration projects,” Ambassador Sadek remarked. “In today’s complex geopolitical environment, the EU remains committed to dialogue, partnership, and predictable international cooperation.”
While rooted in European history, the evening in Kampala focused strongly on the future of EU–Uganda relations and the broader Africa–Europe partnership. Ambassador Sadek described the 50-year relationship as one built not only through development cooperation, but through sustained dialogue, trust, trade, investment, education, and people-to-people connections. The event was attended by Uganda’s Vice President, Jessica Alupo, alongside ministers, parliamentarians, representatives from the Buganda Kingdom, development agencies, business leaders, and officials from the United Nations and World Bank systems.
In her remarks, H.E Rtd MAJ Jessica Rose Epel Alupo the Vice President of Uganda conveyed greetings from President Yoweri Museveni and commended the European Union for what she described as five decades of “constructive partnership and shared progress.” She acknowledged that EU support to Uganda over the years has contributed to improvements in infrastructure, energy, education, humanitarian response, and community resilience. Uganda currently hosts one of Africa’s largest refugee populations, a responsibility she said continues to require strong international solidarity. Trade and economic cooperation emerged as a central theme throughout the evening. Uganda continues to benefit from the European Union’s “Everything but Arms” arrangement, which grants duty-free and quota-free access for Ugandan exports to the European market, excluding arms and ammunition. Amb. Sadek noted that Ugandan exports to the EU have significantly increased in recent years, with coffee remaining one of the country’s strongest export products to Europe.
From Rome and Paris to Berlin, Stockholm, and Amsterdam, Ugandan coffee continues to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between the two regions while supporting livelihoods for thousands of farming households across Uganda. Amb. Sadek also highlighted growing European investment in Uganda through sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure development. He linked this cooperation to the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to promote sustainable investment partnerships globally. The evening further reflected the increasingly strategic nature of Africa-Europe relations in a changing international order. Beyond development financing, the partnership now encompasses climate action, digital transformation, critical raw materials, youth engagement, education, cultural diplomacy, and regional security cooperation. Uganda’s contribution to regional peacekeeping efforts, particularly through missions in Somalia, was recognised during the ceremony, alongside the country’s longstanding refugee policy and regional diplomatic role within East Africa.
As Europe and Uganda look toward the next phase of engagement, both sides projected optimism grounded in mutual interests and shared global challenges. Upcoming joint initiatives, including business forums, academic exchanges, climate partnerships, and new investment programmes, were presented as part of a broader vision for the future. In many respects, the evening reflected more than diplomatic ceremony. It underscored the continuing evolution of Uganda–EU relations from traditional aid cooperation toward a multidimensional partnership increasingly shaped by trade, innovation, sustainability, and geopolitical collaboration. As guests raised a toast to the next fifty years, the message emerging from Kampala was clear: in an era defined by uncertainty and shifting alliances, long-standing partnerships anchored in dialogue and mutual respect remain central to international cooperation.
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