Uganda’s Vice President, Jessica Alupo, has reaffirmed the country’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the European Union in areas that promote sustainable investment, technology transfer, and shared prosperity.
She made the remarks while officiating at the 2026 Europe Day celebrations and commemorating 50 years of partnership between Uganda and the European Union since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976.
Over the past five decades, the European Union and its Member States, working collectively as Team Europe, have contributed more than €5 billion in development cooperation to Uganda.
According to Alupo, the support has significantly contributed to improvements in infrastructure, energy, trade, education, and community resilience across the country.
The Vice President said the European Union has also remained a vital humanitarian partner, particularly as Uganda continues to host the largest refugee population in Africa, reflecting the country’s longstanding commitment to regional stability and solidarity.
“We appreciate the EU’s continued humanitarian assistance to refugees and host communities, as well as its support in strengthening our response to natural disasters and public health emergencies,” Alupo said.
Alupo highlighted that cooperation between Uganda and the European Union is increasingly being driven by investment and economic opportunity, noting that tangible progress is already being realised under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
“The €25 million initiative supporting cross-border infrastructure, including the Ntoroko lake port and the Mahagi corridor, is enhancing regional connectivity and trade,” she said.
In the energy sector, Alupo noted that the €30 million rehabilitation of the Nalubaale–Kiira hydropower complex is strengthening Uganda’s electricity generation capacity and supporting industrial growth.
Trade between Uganda and the European Union has also continued to expand. In 2025, Uganda’s exports to the EU reached an estimated €1.5 billion, largely driven by agricultural products such as coffee, alongside the growing success of farmed fish exports to the European market.
Addressing members of the European Union Diplomatic Corps, Alupo said Uganda remains committed to achieving middle-income status under the country’s Vision 2040 development framework.
She added that Uganda is steadily progressing toward graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, although the transition presents challenges related to trade preferences and market access.
“Continued engagement with the European Union during this transition will therefore remain important. Instruments such as the Everything But Arms initiative and the Generalized System of Preferences continue to provide valuable support for Uganda’s export competitiveness,” Alupo said.
The Vice President emphasized that Uganda’s economic transition reinforces the need to accelerate industrialization, manufacturing, and value addition to create jobs and diversify export opportunities.
She further noted that the €1.4 billion investment roadmap presents an opportunity to advance mineral value addition, digital innovation, skills development, and private sector growth.
On behalf of the Government and people of Uganda, Alupo expressed appreciation to the European Union and its Member States for what she described as five decades of friendship, partnership, and solidarity.
As part of the celebrations, she invited guests to join in a toast to the enduring friendship between Uganda and the European Union, the achievements realized over the years, and the prospects for deeper cooperation in the future.
Meanwhile, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek, described the milestone as more than just an anniversary, saying it represented a celebration of people, continuity, dialogue, and trust built since the EU Delegation first opened in Kampala in 1976.
“Fifty years is a long time, and what we are celebrating is simple but powerful — a partnership that has lasted, adapted, and delivered,” Sadek said.
He pledged to scale up investment in Uganda’s infrastructure, trade, and job creation efforts as the two partners marked 50 years of cooperation, promising continued support for Uganda’s transition toward middle-income status through sustainable and long-term investment.
The European Union remains one of Uganda’s largest development and trade partners, supporting programmes in governance, infrastructure, energy, climate resilience, education, and regional integration.
