PS Bagiire Calls for Results-Driven Economic Diplomacy At MOFA Retreat

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has convened a four-day annual retreat aimed at strengthening the implementation of Uganda’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy strategy and accelerating the country’s investment, trade and export ambitions.

The retreat, organised through the Department of Regional Economic Cooperation, opened on Monday at Mestil Hotel in Kampala and runs until July 9 under the theme: “Strengthening Institutional Collaboration for Effective Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Implementation.”

It brings together officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Uganda’s diplomatic missions abroad, selected government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as private-sector stakeholders.

Opening the retreat, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, said Uganda must shift from merely conducting activities to delivering measurable economic outcomes through its foreign missions.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa

He said diplomatic missions should strengthen the use of statistics, investment data and properly documented commercial opportunities to support Uganda’s drive for trade, tourism, investment and export growth.

Bagiire also highlighted reforms being undertaken to improve coordination, including the establishment of an Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Operations Hub to link missions abroad more closely with the Ministry headquarters and other government agencies.

He called for better mission work plans, stronger inter-agency collaboration and more strategic communication to ensure Uganda’s investment opportunities, tourism potential and commercial prospects are effectively promoted internationally.

The Head of Economic and Commercial Diplomacy and Regional Economic Cooperation, Ambassador Richard Kabonero, said the retreat offers an opportunity to review progress made during the year and prepare for the 2026/27 financial year.

The Head of Economic and Commercial Diplomacy and Regional Economic Cooperation, Ambassador Richard Kabonero

Sessions are expected to examine trade promotion, market access, investment facilitation, tourism competitiveness, bankable projects, free zones, special economic infrastructure, market intelligence and private-sector participation.

The discussions will also focus on the implementation of Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy and efforts to address supply-side and institutional constraints affecting the country’s economic transformation agenda.