Museveni Meets Russian Ambassador 

President Museveni on Thursday held a bilateral meeting with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Vladlen Semivolos, Chimp Corps report. Museveni Meets Russian Ambassador 

The meeting comes at a time Russian forces are conducting a military operation in Ukraine which it says is aimed at ‘demilitarizing and denazifying’ Ukraine. 

The western countries, especially the United States, UK and European Union have since condemned the invasion of Ukraine, slapping sanctions on Russian leaders, banks and other government institutions. 

Uganda’s State House said Museveni and Vladlen “discussed matters of mutual interest between the two countries.”

Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos was accompanied by Dr. Evgeny Kalashnikov, the Ideology Head of Mission of the Russian Federation.

 Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gen Abubaker Jeje Odongo and Ambassador Arthur Kafeero graced the meeting.

Uganda yesterday joined Tanzania, Burundi in abstaining from voting on the United Nations General Assembly Resolution to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to reprimand Russia for invading Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces from Ukraine.

In a tweet on Wednesday evening, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador, Adonia Ayebare said Uganda abstained to show neutrality as the incoming chair of Non – aligned Movement (NAM)

“Uganda Abstained on the UN General Assembly vote on the Ukraine Crisis,” said Amb Ayebare.

“As incoming Chair of the Non- aligned Movement (NAM), NEUTRALITY is key. Uganda will continue to play a constructive role in the maintenance of peace and security both regionally and globally,” he added.

141 countries voted for the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in a special session of the UN General Assembly called by the UN Security Council after Russia used its veto power to veto the Resolution of the Security Council on February 27, condemning it’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, President Museveni tweeted: “We must build a center of gravity for Africa. Many countries in the world have centers of gravity: USA for the Europeans; Russia for the Balkans; China for the Far East; India for South Asia. Where is Africa’s center of gravity?”

Uganda has been working closely with Russia in mineral development, defence and security. 

While meeting President Putin at the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi in 2018, Museveni said Uganda was “building an army by buying good Russian equipment, aircrafts, tanks, and so on.”

The two leaders agreed that Uganda always procure military equipment on credit.

And due to these bilateral talks, Russians built a workshop in Uganda for maintenance, overhaul and upgrade of military aircraft.

This helped Uganda to reduce costs of transporting Sukhoi jets and other military equipment to Russia for maintenance, hence localising the maintenance and overhaul of defense equipment in Uganda.

Additionally, Uganda is cooperating with Russia in the areas of manufacture of human and livestock vaccines, space technology, construction, cyber technology and modern agriculture.

The two countries also established a national system for identifying, evaluating and certifying mineral fields and to further create a comprehensive analytical lab with international accreditation.

This afternoon, I met H.E Vladlen Semivolos, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Uganda. We discussed issues of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/MANjJMuphf

— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) March 3, 2022

Ties

Several joint economic projects have already got underway in Uganda including a cotton processing plant operating with a share of Russian capital; Russia’s Unity trading house founded UgaRuss in Kampala to supply consumer goods made in Russia among others. 

Officials who spoke to ChimpReports onc condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter said Russia has over the last three decades helped Uganda build a formidable military force by providing specialised training to UPDF commanders and supplying state-of-the-art air defence systems, artillery and tanks.

Uganda’s Land Forces Commander, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, recently said President Vladimir Putin was right to take action in Ukraine.

“The majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russia’s stand in Ukraine,” said Gen Muhoozi on Monday morning.

“Putin is absolutely right! When the USSR parked nuclear armed missiles in Cuba in 1962 the West was ready to blow up the world over it. Now when NATO does the same they expect Russia to do differently?” he wondered.

Muhoozi was the first senior army officer in Africa to publicly show support for Russia which the West accuses of belligerence and planning to destroy Ukraine.

Russia supported many guerrilla movements in Africa to expel colonialists.

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