Today's Edition
HAMAD AL KAABI, MOHAMMAD GHAZAL (DUBAI)
Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja hailed her nation’s strong bilateral ties with the UAE, especially at the leadership level, and expressed hope that her country would benefit from the UAE’s hosting of COP28.
In an exclusive interview with Aletihad, PM Nabbanja noted that the UAE, which is predominantly a desert country, has transformed into a greener space, which many countries can emulate. “Since it is the UAE that has organised COP28, we have a lot of hope. That’s why we came to participate,” the Prime Minister said.
She recalled Uganda President Yoweri Museveni’s visit to the UAE last month, and his meeting with President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders explored cooperation in the investment, economic, renewable energy, environmental, and sustainability fields, as well as other areas that align with the two countries’ developmental priorities.
She noted that the close bond between the leaders of the two countries has benefited Uganda in many ways.
According to the Prime Minister, key areas of UAE-Uganda cooperation cover investment in energy, agricultural industries, and tourism. Moving to COP28, PM Nabbanja noted that Uganda was one of the first signatories of United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adding that the country’s participation in COP28 signifies its belief in the outcomes of the conference. Although Uganda signed agreements in the past without any desired results in the climate arena, the PM was assertive in the UAE-hosted global climate meet’s ability to bring about tangible results, especially for developing countries.
The PM also highlighted the need for developing nations to have easy access to climate funds, especially for the last mile beneficiaries: local communities. Looking ahead, in the context of transition to low carbon economies, the PM stressed the need to identify the commonalities and challenges nations face to work together to address challenges and shared goals.
The Prime Minister said that she values the shared goals of the UAE and Uganda in climate action, noting that the UAE’s “miraculous” green transformation and Uganda’s expertise in sustaining forests as a prime example.
As Uganda is gifted by nature, with viable support, the country can make significant efforts to curb emissions and it is ready for investment in the path towards sustainable development, PM Nabbanja concluded.
