President Museveni has urged European nations to leverage their proximity to Africa by increasing investments on the continent to foster shared economic growth and prosperity.
In a meeting with a high-level Austrian delegation on the sidelines of the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, President Museveni stressed that Africa offers vast, untapped opportunities that Europe has yet to fully explore.
“I feel sorry that Europeans, who are like our relatives and speak English just like I do since I don’t speak Russian haven’t fully taken advantage of this. After all, they are also geographically close to Africa. They are not far away,” Museveni commented.
He humorously suggested that “some European countries should be members of the African Union,” given their historical and cultural ties to the continent.
“But for some reason, they have overlooked the opportunities in Africa, including business investments,” he said.
President Museveni compared Europe’s reluctance with China’s increasing involvement in Africa, remarking:
“When you see the Chinese coming here and making significant progress, you start wondering why our European friends are completely asleep.” He reiterated that Uganda and Africa as a whole were eager to welcome more European investors. “We have many connections many Africans now speak English, some speak Portuguese, and many are Christians so we have cultural and historical bonds that make collaboration easier,” he added.
Museveni also emphasized Africa’s vast potential in terms of both population and resources.
“Africa is 12 times the size of India. You can fit India into Africa 12 times, but the people who left have multiplied more than those who stayed,” he noted.
The president highlighted Africa’s demographic shift as a key strategic advantage.
“Until recently, India’s population was larger than the entire continent of Africa. But now, thanks to modern science, we have managed to overcome our challenges. Africa is now 1.5 billion strong, and in the next 27 years, it will grow to 2.5 billion,” he said, portraying the continent as a massive emerging market and workforce.
The Austrian delegation, led by Foreign Affairs Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, informed President Museveni that Austria had decided to draft its first comprehensive African Strategy to guide future engagement with the continent.
“We have been long-standing partners, and next year, we’ll celebrate the 60th anniversary of our bilateral relations,” Meinl-Reisinger said.
She acknowledged that traditional development cooperation has its limits, but Austria is now focusing on economic opportunities and innovation.
“We see Africa as a very young, dynamic, and innovative continent. Your country’s average age is just 16 it's truly remarkable. I look forward to deepening our bilateral relations,” she said.
Meinl-Reisinger also shared that Austria and Uganda are finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding on Mobility and Migration, aimed at facilitating greater movement of Ugandans to Austria for business and other opportunities.
She further noted Austria's collaboration with the European Union’s Global Gateway Initiative, which is directing approximately €600 million toward sustainable agriculture—particularly coffee production and climate change mitigation across Africa.
“There have been positive developments, and Europe recognizes the importance of proving that we are reliable partners, willing to cooperate, especially on the critical African issues still on the table in the Security Council, ensuring a win-win outcome rather than dominance,” she added.
She emphasized Austria’s commitment to equal partnership:
“Austria seeks a true partnership. In today’s multipolar world, we need multilateralism, cooperation, and, of course, opportunities especially economic ones. We need Africa.”
President Museveni reiterated that Uganda remains open to foreign partnerships that create jobs, boost value addition, and support infrastructure development.
The Austrian delegation included Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Foreign Affairs Minister; Simone Knapp, Austrian Ambassador to Uganda; Peter Huber, Director-General for International Partnerships; and Raphael Lassmann, Deputy Chief of Cabinet.
The Ugandan delegation included Okello Oryem, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Vincent Bagiire, Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and other senior government officials.
The meeting took place alongside the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau, which brought together representatives from over 120 countries to discuss global peace, economic cooperation, and South-South partnerships.