Vucic: Gratitude to Uganda for supporting Serbia's territorial integrity

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed gratitude today to Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his country's support for Serbia's territorial integrity.

"We discussed all important issues. I am grateful to Uganda for adhering to the principle of territorial integrity and supporting Serbia's sovereignty throughout its territory and in international organizations, as we do for Uganda and other African countries in international organizations," Vucic said at a joint press conference after the meeting with Museveni.

He also announced that before the end of August, a delegation of experts and several ministers would visit Uganda to continue talks on improving cooperation in agriculture and defense.

"I hope that before the end of next year, we can establish a direct airline with Kampala. If we succeed, it will be a great success for both Serbia and Uganda," Vucic noted.

He pointed out that by 2050, Uganda would have over 100 million inhabitants, compared to around 94 million today, making it one of the four youngest countries in the world with enormous potential.

President Vucic said that he had received an invitation from President Museveni to attend the Great Non-Aligned Movement Congress in Kampala, which he considered a great honor and also important for the citizens of both countries.

"In the future, regarding our national airline, we need to focus on certain strategic points in Africa, and Kampala can be the right place from which we can expand further to African destinations towards the south, as well as central and western Africa," Vucic said.

He reminded that President Museveni's last visit to Belgrade as the President of Uganda had been 36 years ago when he had been hosted by President of the SFRY Presidency Lazar Mojsov, and photos and documents from that time have been displayed.

"He is a man with tremendous experience from which I could learn a lot. I was able to understand and learn a lot about the current political situation in Africa and how rapidly it is progressing. The whole of Africa will have one billion inhabitants, and in 30 years, it will exceed 2.5 billion, becoming one of the most important markets in the world," President Vucic concluded.

Museveni: I am here to renew cooperation

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni expressed his satisfaction with Serbia being a stable country, adding that he was visiting today to renew the once excellent cooperation.

He mentioned that there had been a period of estrangement in bilateral relations but that it was necessary and important to restore them.

"I am glad that you are now a stable country that is developing, and I am here to renew cooperation," President Museveni said.

Museveni stated that he and his delegation were happy to be in Belgrade at the invitation of President Aleksandar Vucic, adding that they had held useful talks.

He pointed out that Serbia and Yugoslavia were not unfamiliar to them.

In that regard, he recalled that in the 1950s and 1960s, they had had excellent relations with Yugoslavia and the then President of the SFRY, Josip Broz Tito.

"We followed Tito's positions during that time, especially the neutral position he maintained, particularly during the conflict between China and the USSR. He refused to align with either side; he was neutral," Museveni said, adding that Tito had done a lot for the Non-Aligned Movement.

He emphasized that Yugoslav companies, especially "Energoprojekt," had built good infrastructure in Uganda.

He also reminded that Uganda had bought many things from Yugoslavia, including boats they still used on a lake in the south.