President Yoweri Museveni has said Uganda and Cuba would benefit a great deal if they exchanged each other’s goods and services.

Museveni made the remarks while meeting with a Cuban delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez. In the meeting, the two leaders discussed matters pertaining to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Museveni expressed the need for investment in areas of science, manufacturing, and barter trade.

“There are good areas of business collaboration like the pathogenic industry in the manufacturing of vaccines that can capture the market in Uganda, East Africa, and Africa,” he said, adding that it would also be good to do barter trade with the private sector or deal directly with the government.

Museveni said that Cuba can buy food products like maize, powdered milk, and beans from Ugandan farmers in exchange for Cuban products such as pharmaceuticals just by exchange without money.

At the beginning of Museveni’s tenure in 1986, Uganda engaged with other countries like Cuba in barter trade exchanging mostly agricultural products such as coffee for industrial products, especially pharmaceutical products.

The Minister said that his country appreciates Museveni’s relations with Cuba through African Union solidarity. He informed the President that Cuba’s economy thrives on manufacturing, with a high level of efficiency in pharmaceuticals, international tourism, and industry.

The Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister was accompanied by the Cuban Ambassador to Uganda, Tania Perez Xiques, among others.

The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for International Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, at the President’s country home in Ntungamo district.