Minister Ayebare, US Officials Discuss Health, Trade and Investment Cooperation

What the report says

Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare held talks in Washington, DC, with senior United States officials on health cooperation, trade and investment, critical minerals and the effect of travel advisories on Uganda’s economy, according to Uganda’s Foreign Affairs ministry as reported by Nile Post. The meeting included US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and other State Department officials on Friday, August 28.

The two sides said they want to deepen the long-running Uganda-US relationship and keep working together on public health and economic priorities. US officials congratulated Uganda on its response to the Ebola outbreak that was declared over this week by the World Health Organisation, while also reaffirming cooperation on pandemics and other health emergencies. The article says Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths during that outbreak.

Ayebare also thanked the US for past support to Uganda’s health sector and discussed continued cooperation in what the statement called health sovereignty. On the economic side, the talks covered private-sector investment, especially in critical minerals and local value addition before export. The officials also welcomed Boeing and Starlink deals already signed with Uganda and signaled interest in further opportunities under the US administration’s trade-over-aid approach.

Ayebare raised concern that travel advisories can hurt tourism, international travel and the movement of people. The meeting forms part of his early diplomatic engagements after taking office this month, as Kampala pushes economic and commercial diplomacy as a priority for its missions abroad.