The government of Iran has revealed plans to start manufacturing tractors in Uganda.

The Iranian Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Seyed Morteza Mortazavi, told the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, that a team of Iranian manufacturers had visited different stakeholders in Uganda earlier this year, and was moved by the potential the country possesses in the agricultural sector.

H.E Seyed Morteza Mortazavi met the Speaker at Parliament Building on Thursday 12 December 2019.

He promised to provide financial support as well as technical expertise to Ugandans to begin the manufacture of tractors.

He expressed the desire of Iranian Parliament to form friendship associations with Parliament of Uganda, saying it is the desire of the Speaker of Parliament of Iran, Ali Larijani to strengthen the ties before his term end.

The Parliamentary friendship groups, Mortazavi said will be part of the wider strategy of strengthening friendship between Uganda and Iran. He further revealed that currently his team is organizing an official visit of the Iranian President to Uganda, upon the invitation by Premier Ruhakana Rugunda.

Speaker Kadaga welcomed the pledge saying that the manufacture of tractors was a proper investment in a country that is dominantly agricultural.

“We are an agricultural country, we will be happy for this kind of venture so that we manufacture tractors for our own use and export to our neighboring countries that are similarly agricultural,” said Kadaga.

Kadaga pledged cooperation from Parliament of Uganda but noted that a memorandum of understanding between both Parliaments will be required to regularise the friendship groups.