President Yoweri Museveni hosted a delegation of 17 French business leaders at State House Entebbe yesterday, in a meeting aimed at strengthening economic ties between Uganda and France.
The delegation was led by H.E. Celine Gouveia, President of the France–East Africa Business Council at MEDEF International, a prominent organization representing French enterprises with interests in Africa.
During the discussions, President Museveni and the French delegation engaged in a thorough exploration of long-term economic partnerships in critical sectors, including energy, agricultural value addition, infrastructure, and technology. Highlighting the importance of mutual growth, President Museveni welcomed the French business community’s interest in Uganda and emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering an investment-friendly environment.
“Together, we detailedly spoke about long-term economic partnerships in sectors like energy, agricultural value addition, infrastructure, and technology and agreed on several areas where we can achieve mutual bilateral relations and add value to each other through services and investment,” said President Museveni.
The French business leaders, represented by Ms. Gouveia, expressed a keen interest in Uganda’s strategic potential for growth, particularly in sectors where French expertise can add value. Ms. Gouveia conveyed optimism about the prospects for collaboration, noting that French companies are ready to support Uganda’s economic transformation by bringing investments and technical know-how.
The French delegation’s visit follows recent efforts to bolster Uganda-France economic relations, with a focus on sustainable investment and job creation.
As part of these ongoing collaborations, French companies are expected to play an active role in areas such as renewable energy projects, infrastructure development, and boosting agricultural productivity through value-added processing.
President Museveni highlighted Uganda’s strategic advantages as a regional trade hub and emphasized his administration’s dedication to creating partnerships that facilitate economic diversification and industrialization. “The French business community’s investment will be instrumental in our journey to transform Uganda into an upper-middle-income country,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Finance Ministet Matia Kasaija, French Ambassador to Uganda Xavier Sticker among others.
