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\n Entebbe\u2013\u00a0President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on the European Union (EU) and Western countries to support Africa\u2019s industrialization and value addition agenda, arguing that the continent cannot continue exporting raw materials while remaining economically disadvantaged decades after attaining independence.<\/p>\n
President-Museveni-meets-EU-Ambassador-H.E-Jan-Sadek-and-delegation\u00a0 Entebbe\u2013\u00a0President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on the European Union (EU) and Western countries to support Africa\u2019s industrialization and value addition agenda, arguing that the continent cannot continue exporting raw materials while remaining economically disadvantaged decades after attaining independence. President-Museveni-meets-EU-Ambassador-H.E-Jan-Sadek-and-delegation\u00a0 The President made the remarks on Tuesday at State House Entebbe during a meeting with …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3659155457675267_172535249438148":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-news"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-768x512.jpg",618,412,true],"large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-1024x683.jpg",618,412,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-2048x1366.jpg",2048,1366,true],"tie-small":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-110x75.jpg",110,75,true],"tie-medium":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-310x165.jpg",310,165,true],"tie-large":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-310x205.jpg",310,205,true],"slider":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-660x330.jpg",660,330,true],"big-slider":["https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Museveni-Urges-EU-to-Back-Africas-Industrialization-as-Uganda-European-1050x525.jpg",1050,525,true]},"author_info":{"info":["Editor"]},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xavieradioug.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe President made the remarks on Tuesday at State House Entebbe during a meeting with the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Jan Sadek, and his delegation, who had paid a courtesy visit to brief him on activities marking the Golden Jubilee celebration of the partnership between Uganda and the European Union.
\nPresident Museveni welcomed the milestone, describing the Uganda-EU relationship as a long-standing partnership that has contributed to the country\u2019s development over several decades.
\n\u201cI thank you so much. I am very happy about the 50 years of collaboration between the EU and Uganda,\u201d President Museveni said, noting that formal EU presence in Uganda dates back to the period when the European office was opened during the reign of former President Idi Amin.
\nWhile appreciating the partnership, the President stressed that Africa\u2019s biggest challenge remains the failure by many leaders to prioritize economic transformation through industrialisation and value addition.
\n\u201cIn the interest of Europe and the United States, a more prosperous Africa is very good for business,\u201d he said. \u201cThe total GDP of Africa is only $3.6 trillion for a population of 1.5 billion people. This is really not good.\u201d
\nPresident Museveni attributed Africa\u2019s slow economic growth to the continued exportation of unprocessed raw materials, describing the practice as a historic policy mistake that has deprived the continent of wealth creation opportunities.
\n\u201cThe reason why the GDP of Africa is still stagnant is because of the policy mistakes of exporting unprocessed raw materials. This is a very big crime and a betrayal of the continent\u2019s future,\u201d he said.
\nThe President appealed to Europe and the United States to view Africa as a strategic economic partner whose prosperity would create mutual benefits through increased trade and investment.
\n\u201cWhy should you want to trade with a poor man? Why shouldn\u2019t you want your partner to be rich so that you can both benefit?\u201d he asked.
\nPresident Museveni highlighted Africa\u2019s vast market potential and natural resources, noting that Europe possesses the capital, investment funds and industrial expertise necessary to unlock shared prosperity.
\nHe reaffirmed Uganda\u2019s commitment to industrialisation and value addition policies, saying the country would continue pursuing economic transformation while encouraging other African nations to follow suit.
\n\u201cFor us in Uganda, we are very clear. We shall not make those mistakes of stunting the potential of Africa. Work with us, and the others will join us,\u201d he said.
\nThe President also identified infrastructure development, particularly railway transport, as another critical area of cooperation between Africa and Europe.
\n\u201cFor competitiveness, you need low transport costs for cargo, affordable electricity, low cost of financing and competitive labour,\u201d he noted.
\nOn governance and international affairs, President Museveni reiterated Uganda\u2019s commitment to diplomacy and multiparty democracy.
\nSpeaking during the meeting, Ambassador Jan Sadek congratulated President Museveni upon his recent electoral victory and commended Uganda\u2019s growing influence in regional and international affairs.
\nHe thanked the President for his continued commitment to strengthening Uganda-EU relations and noted that the partnership has evolved significantly over the past five decades.
\n\u201cOnce upon a time the European Union was not here physically, but in 1976 we started this relationship and now we are celebrating 50 years,\u201d Ambassador Sadek said. \u201cIt is a Golden Jubilee, and we are looking ahead to what we can achieve together in the next 50 years.\u201d
\nThe Ambassador observed that Uganda has transformed remarkably over the years, emerging as a respected voice on regional and global issues.
\nHe revealed that the EU delegation sought the President\u2019s guidance on how to further strengthen the partnership and ensure it remains productive and beneficial for both sides.
\nAccording to Ambassador Sadek, EU support in Uganda spans infrastructure, hydropower, forestry, tourism, education, health, trade and investment. He noted that the relationship has evolved beyond donor assistance into a partnership focused on economic growth and mutual benefit.
\n\u201cCurrently our relationship has moved on from a donor relationship to partnership in trade, investments and the economy,\u201d he said.
\nHe disclosed that trade between Uganda and the EU has grown from 500 million euros to 1.5 billion euros and expressed optimism about the potential of Ugandan products in European markets.
\nThe Ambassador also highlighted EU support towards the rehabilitation of Nalubaale and Kiira hydropower plants, the construction and upgrading of approximately 200 schools, including refugee schools, and investments in Uganda\u2019s film and creative industries to create employment opportunities for young people.
\nAdditionally, Ambassador Sadek announced that the EU would support Uganda during the upcoming AFCON 2027 tournament and expressed interest in promoting tourism and cultural exchange through the event.
\nHe reaffirmed the EU\u2019s commitment to regional peace, stability and long-term cooperation with Uganda, describing the bloc as a reliable and predictable partner.
\n\u201cWe want to remain here for the coming 50 years, reliable and predictable for Uganda in a world that is not always stable,\u201d he said.
\nThe Ambassador also announced plans to open a new European Union office in Kampala later this year and invited President Museveni to officiate at the launch.
\nDuring the meeting, Ambassador Sadek showcased roasted Ugandan coffee produced in Kisoro, which he described as one of the best-selling Ugandan coffee brands in Europe, highlighting the growing potential of value-added Ugandan exports in international markets.<\/p>\n\n
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