New president, Napolitano.
New ambassador, Plaja
60yrs of Italy as a republic
The celebration of the Italian National Day, the 60th under the Republican Constitution gives me the occasion to raise a glass to Uganda, in particular to the re-elected President Yoweri Museveni, to the new Government and Parliament and to all the citizens of this beautiful country, which I still have to fully discover having arrived only four months ago.
I am aware of the excellent relations between the two countries and people in the political, economic (commercial) and co-operation fields and I am very pleased to say an important event is going to be celebrated this month that will strengthen these ties more. This is the 100 years anniversary of the first scientific climbing to the Rwenzori range by an Italian of the Royal family also known as an explorer who made expeditions to the North Pole and the Karakorum. In Uganda he gave his names to the peaks he has climbed, the most common of which is Margherita Peak, named after the Queen Mother of the then Italian Kingdom.
Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Abruzzi, is the man that even today is helping our countries to feel more near and more friendly.
Italy also held parliamentary and presidential elections these last two months. The new president is Giorgio Napolitano and at the head of the Government is Romano Prodi, the successor to Silvio Berlusconi.
Now let us come back to the fruitful development co-operation that exists between the two countries. The Italian Co-operation in Uganda has a long tradition of interventions carried out through bilateral and NGO-promoted projects.
The various initiatives focus on four priority sectors – health, agriculture, water supply and higher education.
According to the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, the Italian Co-operation mainly concentrates its initiatives in areas where poverty is a major problem, such as the districts of Northern Uganda and West Nile regions.
Despite some security problems, the Italian Co-operation continues to maintain a presence in these areas, thanks to the dedication of Italian medical and development practitioners in the field.
I therefore, feel it as my pleasant duty on this particular day to warmly commend all the Italians, who live and work in the country and have received words of appreciation from many Ugandans.
Finally, I am very pleased to see that the first steps have been taken, in accordance with the international community, to find a political solution to the conflict in Northern Uganda with the creation of a Joint Monitoring Committee.
Italy is certainly ready to play its part to put an end to the conflict.
Umberto Plaja
Italian Ambassador - In Uganda
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