Wang Yi Meets with Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo

2021-11-30 15:06

On November 29, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo in Dakar when attending the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Wang Yi said, today President Xi Jinping announced major initiatives and serial actions for cooperation with Africa. China will focus on the "nine programs" and take practical actions to help Africa develop and prosper. The Chinese side will firmly support African countries in bridging the immunization gap, make greater contributions to keeping African people healthy and safe, and write a new chapter of China-Africa friendship in the new era.

Odongo said, I listened carefully to President Xi Jinping's important speech at the opening ceremony today. The series of new initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping on cooperation with Africa just cater to the urgent demand of Africa, and will greatly boost the development of Africa-China relations and also strongly confirm China's firm support for Africa. They are thus naturally warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by African countries. The Ugandan side looks forward to strengthening alignment with the Chinese side on jointly implementing the initiatives, so as to raise Africa-China cooperation to a new level. The Ugandan side is satisfied with bilateral relations, thanks China for its contribution to the economic and social development of Uganda, and hopes for support from China in areas such as the export of Ugandan products to China.

Wang Yi said, China and Uganda have continuously deepened political mutual trust and fared well in practical cooperation. The two sides' support for each other in the fight against the pandemic has added new content into China-Uganda cooperation. China will open "green lanes" for African agricultural exports to China, further increase the scope of African products enjoying the zero-tariff treatment, and strive to grow total imports from Africa in the next three years to 300 billion U.S. dollars. All these moves are poised to empower the growth of exports from African countries, including Uganda, to China and lift bilateral trade between China and Uganda and between China and Africa to new levels.

The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening coordination and cooperation between China and Uganda in international and regional affairs and agreed to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of African countries and developing countries at large.