KAMPALA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni on Sunday held a meeting in which they both agreed to promote trade relations among the two countries.
Rajapaksa was on a four day official visit to Uganda during which he was to address the Commonwealth Local Government Conference.
A State House statement issued here said that Museveni urged Rajapaksa to woo his countrymen to invest in Uganda's textile industry and promote rubber growing.
"We also produce a lot of tea and milk. Your country should consider importing from us so that your consumers have a choice. Am also very interested in rubber and rubber trees which are very good for the environment," Museveni said.
He called on Sri Lanka to consider Uganda's Entebbe International Airport as one of their destinations to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.
He called for a stronger relationship between the two countries especially in the areas of defense training and cooperation.
Rajapaksa said he will be sending a delegation of investors to Uganda to study the aspects of investing in the textile sector and in rubber growing.
He called for a joint permanent commission and cooperation between the two countries to follow up on the various Memorandums Of Understanding (MOUs) and to implement projects.
The two countries have signed various MOUs including in the areas of trade, industry and cooperatives, energy, tourism, agriculture and culture and gender.