Kampala, Uganda – Uganda and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic cooperation, following the conclusion of the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation held at Speke Resort Munyonyo on 8th October 2025. The high-level meeting brought together officials from both nations to review and expand frameworks for bilateral collaboration in key sectors such as trade, investment, education, and technology.
Russian Ambassador to Uganda H.E. Vladlen Semivolos (left) and Uganda’s Envoy to Russia Amb. Moses Kizige (right), delivering their remarks at the Opening session of the Intergovernmental Commission Meeting.
Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Gen. Jeje Odongo, hailed the longstanding relationship between the two countries, tracing its roots to the pre-independence era. “Russia and Uganda share common values and worked together to promote international peace, respect for international law, and the socio-economic transformation of our people,” Gen. Odongo said during the closing ceremony.
While acknowledging steady growth in trade and investment between the two countries, the Minister said much more remains to be achieved. He urged both sides to translate their diplomatic goodwill into concrete partnerships that would deliver real benefits to their citizens. Uganda, he noted, continues to engage with Russia both bilaterally and through multilateral platforms such as the BRICS bloc and the United Nations. He reiterated Uganda’s support for collective efforts to address global challenges, including climate change, the erosion of multilateralism, and declining trust in international institutions. Gen. Odongo invited Russian investors and technical experts to take advantage of Uganda’s favorable investment climate, access to the East African Community (EAC), and the wider African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market.
The Russian delegation, led by H.E. Bella Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media, noted the significant potential that remains untapped between the two countries, highlighting tourism as a promising area for further collaboration. “There is a lot more that we can do together, and tourism is one of the sectors where Uganda can be a major attraction for Russian travellers,” Cherkesova said.
A key outcome of the sessions was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Makerere University in Uganda and Russia’s National Research University Higher School of Economics, aimed at promoting academic cooperation and research exchange. The meeting marked another step in the growing partnership between the two nations, which have increasingly looked to strengthen ties amid shifting global dynamics.
