President Yoweri Museveni yesterday held a bilateral meeting with the Palestine President Mohamoud Abbas at the sidelines of the 29th Ordinary Assembly of the African Union heads of state and governments at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The Palestinian leader briefed his host about their liberation struggle for Independence and assured the Museveni that they do not support terrorism. He said theirs is a peaceful, non-violent movement, which believes in a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. He invited President Museveni to visit Bethlehem in Palestine.
Museveni said he supported the two-state solution of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and recalled with vivid and fond memories, his earlier visit to Bethlehem at the invitation of former Palestinian leader the late Yassir Arafat. The two leaders also discussed various economic development issues between their two countries.
Later, Museveni also received a special envoy of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan based in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Yerlik Ali who conveyed President Nursultan Bazarbayev’s gratitude to Museveni for his support for Kazakgstan’s successful bid to membership of the UN Security Council. He also renewed his President’s invitation to President Museveni to attend the Organization of Islamic Conference later this year.
Museveni also had a brief chat with Tanzania’s Vice President Samia Suluhu shortly after the closed session of the AU assembly. Mr. Suluhu was accompanied by the Tanzania Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Augustine Mahiga.
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amb. Patrick Mugoya and the Principal Private Secretary to the President Ms Molly Kamukama attended the meetings.
Later, Museveni and the First Lady Janet Museveni returned home from Addis Ababa after their two-day working visit to Addis Ababa.
To see them off at Bole International Airport were the Chief of Protocol of the Ethiopian government, Mr. Esayas Gotta, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Patrick Mugoya, Uganda’s Charge d’Affairs in Ethiopia and the African Union Ambassador Idule Amoko, and other Senior Embassy Staff in Addis Ababa.
