Promoting Meaningful Connectivity Between Vietnamese and Ugandan Businesses

During a meeting between Mr Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and Ms Betty Bigombe, Uganda's Ambassador to Malaysia and Non-Resident Ambassador to Vietnam, the two sides discussed preparations for the Uganda–Vietnam Business Forum, as well as a series of investment and trade cooperation activities to be held during the Ugandan delegation's visit to Vietnam in August 2026.

According to Ambassador Bigombe, Uganda hopes the Ugandan delegation's upcoming visit to Vietnam will not only further strengthen bilateral relations but also deliver tangible outcomes in economic cooperation. The proposed programme therefore includes meetings with Vietnamese ministries and relevant authorities, together with business networking activities, most notably the Uganda–Vietnam Business Forum.

Uganda has identified several priority sectors for cooperation with Vietnam, including tourism, agriculture and agro-processing, information and communication technology (ICT), trade, textiles, mining, oil and gas, as well as a number of other industrial sectors.

The Ugandan Ambassador emphasised Uganda's interest in attracting Vietnamese investment while also learning from Vietnam's successful development experience in areas where it has achieved remarkable progress.

Tourism was highlighted as one of the sectors offering significant potential for cooperation. Ms Betty Bigombe praised the impressive growth of Vietnam's tourism industry and suggested that Uganda could benefit from Vietnam's experience in product development, international tourism promotion and destination marketing.

She also expressed the hope that both countries would develop long-term cooperation strategies to promote two-way tourism, not only between Uganda and Vietnam but also more broadly between Vietnam and African countries.

Agriculture and agro-processing were also identified as key areas of cooperation. Uganda is keen to strengthen exchanges of expertise and explore partnerships with Vietnamese businesses in agricultural production, value-added processing, increasing the value of agricultural products and integrating into regional and global supply chains.

In addition, Uganda hopes to attract greater interest from Vietnamese businesses in ICT, textiles, mining, oil and gas, and trade. The Ambassador Betty Bigombe noted that the participation of Uganda’s large business delegation in the upcoming visit reflects the growing demand for stronger direct links between the private sectors of the two countries.

During the meeting, VCCI Vice President Nguyen Quang Vinh welcomed Uganda's proposals and suggested that the programme should be carefully designed with a clear focus on practical outcomes, creating maximum opportunities for businesses from both countries to engage directly.

Regarding the Uganda–Vietnam Business Forum on 12 August, he proposed that both sides continue to work closely to refine the agenda, allocate sufficient time for business networking, and facilitate effective business matching based on companies' interests and cooperation needs.

In addition to the forum, the two sides also discussed plans for a series of site visits for the Ugandan delegation. Participants may be divided into sector-specific groups according to their areas of interest, such as agriculture, chemicals, fertilisers, ICT and tourism, enabling them to visit relevant facilities, meet Vietnamese enterprises and gain first-hand insights into successful business models.

Organising the programme in specialised groups is expected to give Ugandan businesses a deeper understanding of Vietnam's business ecosystem while facilitating the identification of potential partners and collaborative projects.

Mr Vinh also stressed that receiving comprehensive information in advance on the composition of the Ugandan business delegation, their business sectors and partnership requirements would enable VCCI to identify and invite suitable Vietnamese enterprises for targeted business matching.

Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination in finalising the programme, ensuring effective integration between policy dialogue, site visits and business networking activities.

Through the Uganda–Vietnam Business Forum and the accompanying programme of activities in August, both countries hope to deepen mutual understanding of each other's markets, establish more direct channels of business engagement, and further develop bilateral relations in a practical and meaningful manner that fully reflects the considerable potential of both countries.