Antigua and Barbuda: The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa, has called for stronger bilateral relations between Uganda and Antigua and Barbuda, urging closer cooperation in tourism, trade and diplomacy.
Hon Tayebwa made the remarks during a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Gaston Browne on the sidelines of the European Union–Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly.
The Deputy Speaker currently serves as President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) 79-Member Country Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the EU-OACPS Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Tayebwa said Africa and the Caribbean share deep historical and cultural ties shaped by common ancestry, stressing the need to unlock new areas of collaboration.
He highlighted tourism as a strategic sector, noting Antigua and Barbuda’s well-developed hospitality industry 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,” Tayebwa said.
He invited Prime Minister Browne to visit Uganda, pointing to the country’s unique attractions including mountain gorillas, wildlife parks and cultural heritage. “I am looking to you visiting Uganda so that you can see mountain gorillas,” he added.
On Uganda’s premium coffee exports, Tayebwa called for greater market access in the Caribbean. “You people take coffee here; we want to see Uganda coffee in your country,” he said, presenting Browne with a pack of Ugandan coffee as a symbolic gift.
Prime Minister Browne welcomed the outreach, describing the visit as a boost to bilateral relations. “Your visit will help to strengthen bilateral relations,” Browne said, pledging Antigua and Barbuda’s support for deeper engagement.
He also congratulated President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on his re-election and praised Ugandans for their confidence in his leadership.
Browne proposed expanding cooperation into education through student exchange programmes to foster people-to-people connections. “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, beginning with diplomats and business leaders, to stimulate trade and investment.
Tayebwa expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Caribbean–EU Parliamentary Assembly, noting that the OACPS platform brings together Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to coordinate positions on trade, climate change, development financing and political cooperation.
He said such engagements strengthen South–South collaboration while reinforcing ties with the European Union.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
