Korea and Uganda have agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation across many sectors, including the economy, development and the arts. Presidents of both countries held summit talks on May 29 at State House in Entebbe, Uganda, and decided to expand cooperation in a wide range of sectors. They also agreed to work together to respond to North Korean nuclear weapons issues.

President Park, now the first Korean head of state to visit Uganda, told President Museveni that Uganda is the first country in East Africa to have forged diplomatic ties with the Republic of Korea. She said that she hopes for strengthened cooperation on sustainable development, the arts, education, and on military, defense and the defense industry. President Museveni expressed his will to expand cooperation on the economy through extended investments from Korea.




In regard to the economy, both leaders agreed to increase the volume of trade that flows between the two countries, and to increase investment. They agreed to cooperate on constructing infrastructure, too. As an outcome of the summit, the governments signed a total of 19 memorandums of understanding. These included ones on energy, power generation, factory construction and even covered the participation of Korean companies in the construction of a new oil refinery in Hoima in Uganda's oil region.

The two presidents also agreed to expand cooperation on economic development, in particular focusing on the spread of the New Community Movement, or Saemaul Undong, a range of agricultural and rural development policies that laid the foundation for Korea's progress from an agricultural to an industrial economy. President Park emphasized the importance of sustainable development, and asked her Ugandan counterpart to take an interest in her “Better Life for Girls” initiative and in Korea Aid, a new form of economic developmental cooperation. President Museveni responded that he is focusing on the values of the New Community Movement, such as diligence, self-help and creativity. He praised the movement by saying that the Saemaul Undong is in line with the national development plans his government has for Uganda.

The leaders agreed to work together in regard to issues involving the Korean Peninsula, too. President Park asked the Ugandan leader to take part in efforts by the international community to encourage North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions. President Museveni responded by saying that his administration has ordered all relevant government ministries to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 2270 by suspending cooperation with North Korea in the security, military and police sectors.

Finally, both countries signed an MOU on national defense that will cover cooperation on military technologies, the defense industry and the exchange of information.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
arete@korea.kr