India, Uganda seek to boost ties

From Sujit Chatterjee
Kampala, July 8 (PTI) India and Uganda on Friday held
wide ranging discussions to further cement the multi-faceted
bilateral relations between the two countries with a focus on
regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Indian Vice President M Hamid Ansari, who arrived here
this evening, held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni.
The Vice President is here on route resource-rich
South Sudan to attend its inauguration on Saturday as the
world's youngest nation.
Shortly after arriving here, Ansari drove to the
Presidential Palace for the parleys.
"The Vice President discussed ways and means of
strengthening further the India-Uganda bilateral relationship
and focussed on regional and international issues," officials
said.
India has traditionally strong ties with Uganda which
has a large community of people of Indian origin to add
substance to the multi-faceted relations.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited
Kampala to attend The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in November 2007, while Museveni had come to India in
April 2008.
The Ugandan leader and had then participated in the
first India-Africa forum summit in New Delhi.
India is among the large trading partners of Uganda
with a two way trade to the tune of USD 160 million. India has
a favourable Balance of Trade.