Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has vouched for stronger bilateral relations between Uganda and Antigua and Barbuda, calling for closer cooperation in tourism, trade and diplomacy.
Tayebwa made the proposals when he paid a courtesy visit to Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean island state, on the sidelines of the European Union-Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly.
Uganda’s Deputy Speaker is the current President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) 79 Member Country Parliamentary Assembly, and Co-President of EU-OACPS Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Tayebwa said Africa and the Caribbean share a historical relationship shaped by similar ancestry, hence the need to deepen ties between the two regions and unlock new areas of collaboration.
Highlighting tourism as a key area for partnership, Tayebwa pointed to Antigua and Barbuda’s well-developed hospitality sector as a model Uganda could learn from.
“We are seeing high-end tourists coming here. We want Antigua to support us as Uganda in terms of training our people in the hospitality industry,” he said.
Uganda, often referred to as the Pearl of Africa, boasts diverse attractions ranging from wildlife and national parks to rich cultural heritage. Tayebwa invited the Antiguan Prime Minister to experience this firsthand.
“I am looking to you visiting Uganda so that you can see mountain gorillas,” he said, underscoring Uganda’s unique position as one of the few countries in the world where tourists can track the endangered primates in their natural habitat.
Trade also featured prominently in the discussions, particularly Uganda’s premium coffee exports. “You people take coffee here; we want to see Uganda coffee in your country,” Tayebwa said.
At the end of the meeting, he presented Browne with a pack of Uganda’s coffee as a gift.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Browne welcomed the outreach and expressed optimism about the future of bilateral relations.
“Your visit will help to strengthen bilateral relations,” he said, adding that Antigua and Barbuda values its partnership with Uganda.
He also extended congratulations to president Yoweri Museveni on his re-election and praised the Ugandan people for their continued confidence in his leadership.
“I wish you to extend congratulations to President Museveni on winning another term of office. The Ugandan people have immense confidence in him,” Browne said.
He proposed that cooperation between the two countries extend to the education sectors, suggesting the establishment of student exchange programmes aimed at fostering people-to-people connections and deepening mutual understanding.
“We could collaborate in the education system by creating student exchange programmes,” he said.
The Antiguan leader further promised to ease movement between the two countries, starting with diplomats and business leaders, to stimulate trade and investment.
As President of the OACPS, Tayebwa said he is satisfied with the progress made during the Caribbean – EU parliamentary Assembly. The Caribbean meeting of the OACPS brings together lawmakers from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to coordinate common positions on trade, development financing, climate change and political cooperation, making it a crucial platform for advancing shared interests with the European Union and strengthening South–South collaboration.
