The Chinese ambassador to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, has handed over a fleet of 70 SUV motor vehicles donated by his government to the Ugandan government for use during the forthcoming 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Group of 77 (G77) + China Summits in January next year.
The vehicles were handed over to the state minister for Works, Muca Ecweru at the ministry headquarters in Kampala today, December 14, 2023.
“Today, on behalf of the Chinese Government, I handed over 70 new vehicles to the Ugandan side to support Uganda hosting the upcoming two summits of NAM and G77 plus China. I wish the two summits a big success in consolidating the solidity of the developing countries,” Zhang Lizhong posted on his X page.
During the handover ceremony, Ecweru praised China for always being available to support and collaborate with the Ugandan government.
“The Chinese government has demonstrated its brotherly support to us, the government of Uganda, in making us host the forthcoming summits. The beauty we attach to you is that when we partner and do things like this, you don’t give us outrageous conditions. Some people would have loved to give us this but would have dictated that we change our culture, the way we behave, and so many other things. We thank you for respecting our values as we respect yours,” Ecweru said.
According to the Ecweru, Uganda has been successful in jointly implementing all of its programmes with its Chinese counterparts due to the mutual respect they have shared.
“Our collaboration will even become stronger now. A lot is expected of us and you in the partnerships we are to undertake in the years to come,” he added.
Lizhong stated that his government will always be willing to support Uganda in all its endeavours.
“These vehicles will enable Uganda to successfully host the G77 and NAM summits. China supports Uganda to continuously play its role in regional and international affairs. The handover of these vehicles is an example of China’s unwavering support for Uganda,” Lizhong said.
He stated that China will send two teams of experts to Uganda next month to train Ugandan drivers and technicians as well as provide vehicle maintenance services.
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire, the handover of the vehicle demonstrates Uganda and China’s excellent bilateral relations, which have lasted more than 60 years.
