President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, met with the outgoing French Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Xavier Sticker, at State House Entebbe, to discuss economic cooperation, trade relations, and global development partnerships.
During the meeting, President Museveni emphasized the need for balanced global development and urged stronger collaboration between Western nations and Africa. “We need to unite to make the world great,” President Museveni said, calling for equitable trade relations that promote shared prosperity.
He stressed the importance of importing value-added goods from developing countries. “While we purchase machinery and industrial raw materials from the West, we also encourage the importation of our finished goods, such as textiles and processed dairy products, to support job creation and economic growth here in Uganda,” he added.
President Museveni reaffirmed Uganda’s openness to international partnerships, citing French investments in the oil and energy sector as a key example. “I deliberately selected TotalEnergies, a partner with CNOOC Limited in the Lake Albert oil development, and I’m glad they are investing,” he said.
Ambassador Sticker, who is set to take up a new role as the European Union Ambassador to Guinea-Conakry, thanked the Ugandan government for the cooperation during his diplomatic service.
“Uganda and France have enjoyed a long-standing and dynamic relationship. It is crucial that we continue to deepen our understanding of each other while facilitating community mobility and building shared interests between our nations,” he said.
He commended President Museveni’s support for Uganda’s coffee sector and called for increased investment by French companies, including establishing factories to drive industrial growth.
The meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, expanding trade, and promoting sustainable economic development.