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One of the key highlights of the just concluded 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi was my meeting with the Russian State Duma delegation. In a move to further our Parliamentary Diplomacy doctrine, I invited my Russian counterpart and his delegation to Kampala. They invited me to Moscow in return. I told the delegation that Uganda and Russia enjoy a deep historical relationship that our Parliaments should leverage. I noted that, to my knowledge, no Russian Speaker has ever led a delegation to Uganda, and the first to do so will make headlines. There is a lot their Parliament can learn from us, and a lot we can learn from them. I welcome the Duma’s plan for a group of deputies dedicated to Uganda. Trade between us remains small: in 2024 we imported $190.69m, mostly wheat, and exported $39.30m, mainly coffee. We must close that gap. I was joined by Leader of the Opposition Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, Hon. Annet Katusiime Mugisha, Hon. Sowedi Ismail Mulemya, Hon. Betty Mpongo Nakisita and High Commissioner Prof. Joyce Kikafunda. #BRICSIndia2026 #ParliamentaryDiplomacy

This year’s theme, “For a Peaceful and Developed Great Lakes Region,” could not be more timely. We share a history of the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. But at the same time, our brotherly and sisterly ties encourage our 12 nations to find peaceful solutions together for the benefit of our people. The ICGLR is home to about 455 million people, most of them young, with a combined economy of roughly US$600 billion. Our region is growing at about 4.5–5% a year, slightly ahead of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. Yet the average income is only about US$1,300 per person, and global economic shocks and conflict, most painfully in Sudan, threaten hard-won gains. Our young population is our greatest asset, but only if peace allows us to invest in their skills, jobs and future. Lasting peace in our region cannot be built without women at the heart of leadership and decision-making.

Fellow Citizens, I have joined this morning the great women parliamentarians from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Dar es Salaam. All 12 ICGLR countries are represented here at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre for the Women Parliamentary Conference 2026. The ICGLR is a collection of the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, the Republic of Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan. The ICGLR was founded on the need to tackle instability and conflicts in our nations because they have a regional dimension that calls for a concerted effort to build peace and development.