Uganda’s President Museveni said his government is ready to cooperate with Iran in all fields adding that the two countries

can compliment each other in development and trade.

“Iran belongs to the Gulf and Central Asia region.  We are right in the heart of the huge African Continent.  It is five and a half hours from Alexandria in Egypt and five and a half hours to Cape Town in South Africa.  We can compliment each other in development and trade,” Museveni said.

Museveni (pictured right) was speaking at a state banquet he hosted in honour of the visiting President of the Islamic republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was in Uganda on a two-day state visit at the invitation of President Museveni.

Museveni said it is the right of all countries in the world to access nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as the generation of electricity and medical uses.  

“Uganda’s electricity potential on the Nile River and its tributaries is about 5,000 megawatts.  We may get some power from our newly discovered petroleum and gas.  
All this, however, cannot satisfy our energy needs.  Where will the rest of our energy needs come from?  All the African Rivers have a potential of about 300,000 megawatts (with installed capacity of just 21,000 megawatts).

This is for the present population of one billion people of Africa, soon to reach 1.3 billion people by 2025.  The USA, with only 316 million people currently uses 1,067,010 megawatts.  Possibly, there is wastage in USA’s usage of electricity.  Nevertheless, the magnitude of the electricity required is great.

What energy source will provide this magnitude of electricity for Africa?  Solar, wind, etc., sources of energy are still very expensive per kilowatt hour.  Therefore, the use of nuclear energy for electricity is a right for all countries.  All countries of the World should cooperate in this.  It is also good for the environment,” he said.

Museveni said Uganda’s position is that nuclear weapons are dangerous for humanity – even more dangerous than all the other previous weapon systems.  We should, therefore, work for a nuclear weapons-free world.
 
“”This means that those who have these weapons should work to get rid of them under an internationally agreed and verifiable Treaty and that those who do not possess them should not seek to acquire them.

Those weapons were developed at the height of imperialist madness, greed, egocentrism and criminality when some groups were trying to consolidate World domination and colonialism and new imperialist aspirants, such as Germany and Japan, were seeking to re-divide the colonial possessions in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, etc.  Here, we salute the people of the Soviet Union who bore the brunt of this imperialist madness and contributed decisively to the defeat of the NAZI regime in Germany,” he said.

He said proliferation, is moving in the wrong direction because action always breeds reaction.  “This possible chain-reaction that takes us away from the ideal of a nuclear weapons-free world should be avoided by all peace-loving people.

The possession of these means of mass destruction and murder is the greatest cause for the proliferation of nuclear weapons.  I salute those who possess nuclear weapons but have started talking of a nuclear weapons-free World,” he said.

On the issue of the Middle East, the President said Uganda supports the two States solution i.e. Israel and Palestine “living side by side, within internationally recognized and secure borders” as agreed to by the relevant UN Security Council resolution.

According to the Bible, there were seven tribes of Canaan (present day Israel and Palestine).  These were: Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, Perizzites and Jebusites.  Then, Ibrahim, the Jew, came from Ur in present day Iraq and also started living in the same area.

“The Middle Eastern tribes could learn a little bit from the African tribes.  Our philosophy is to live and let live.  I, for instance, do not eat fish, pigs, mutton, chicken, etc., on account of my indigenous customs.  

However, I am the greatest promoter of these foods for the other Ugandans that like them. When I was in Iran, I told you about the reference to the ‘Persians and Medians’ in the Bible.  I now give you the exact portions of the Bible where they are referred to.

 

Stories from Uganda's Presidential Press Unit with minimal editing by Sunrise. Picture by Islamtimes.com

blog comments powered by Disqus

< Prev		Next >