Uganda and Russia Move to Deepen Bilateral Ties Beyond Moscow Summit

Uganda and Russia have expressed a strong commitment to expanding their bilateral cooperation into areas such as education, research, trade, and technology. This renewed push for partnership was highlighted during a special exhibition held at Makerere University, which explored the historical role of the former Soviet Union in African liberation and development.

The exhibition, organized by Makerere’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in partnership with the Russian State University for the Humanities, brought together diplomats, academics, and government officials. Discussions focused on translating historical solidarity into modern economic transformation.

Sergey Lobanov, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Federation in Uganda, praised the enduring relationship, describing Uganda as a privileged partner and ally. He noted that Moscow has historically supported African nations in breaking free from colonial rule and building national economies, healthcare, and education systems.

Representing Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Michael Karugaba stated that the country intends to leverage the Russia-Africa Summit to pursue key investments in energy, ICT, human capital development, and academic exchanges. He also highlighted Uganda’s recent admission as a BRICS partner country as a crucial avenue for expanding international economic partnerships.

Makerere University Vice-Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe emphasized the importance of preserving historical archives and called for deeper academic exchanges and collaborative research between Ugandan and Russian institutions. Meanwhile, Ministry of Education officials welcomed existing scholarship quotas and advocated for broader institutional cooperation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Read more about this story in The Observer.