By MONITOR

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi jets in Uganda Tuesday after a two-day State visit to neighbouring Rwanda.

Mr Modi and his delegation will hold bilateral talks with President Yoweri Museveni.

The leaders will sign several agreements on energy, defence, ICT, and film production.

Uganda's Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Patrick Mugoya said other agreements include visa exemption for diplomatic and service passport holders, culture and set up of a material testing laboratory.

“It is an important visit in the Uganda-India relations at the highest level,” Mr Mugoya told the Daily Monitor in a telephone interview.

Mr Modi's visit is the first to Uganda by an Indian Prime Minister in 21 years.

India will extend two loans to Uganda -- a $141 million facility for extension of electricity lines and construction of substations, and $64 million line for agriculture and diary production.

Mr Mugoya said government has been negotiating for the two loans “for some time.”

Mr Modi will on Tuesday evening meet Uganda's Indian community.

On Wednesday, the Indian PM will address the India-Uganda business forum and Parliament.

Mr Mugoya said during Mr Modi’s visit, the two sides will also discuss ways of bridging the current trade imbalance in India’s favour.

Bank of Uganda statistics indicate Uganda imported goods worth $774 million as of 2017 and exported goods worth $38 million.

From India, Uganda majorly imports pharmaceuticals, veterinary products, oils, distillation products, electrical, iron and steel, stationery products, among others.

He will depart for Johannesburg thereafter for the BRICS Summit (emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

Mr Mugoya said Uganda has been invited at the summit as the “Africa outreach segment” together with Togo, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Gabon, Angola and Ethiopia.

“Reaching out to us [Uganda] to participate in their dialogue shows that they recognise our development path,” he said.