Ugandan, Iranian presidents to discuss possible sanctions
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gandan President Yoweri Museveni and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will among others discuss the possible United Nations sanctions against Iran for its uranium enrichment program, a top government official said on Tuesday.
Okello Oryem, the minister of state for international affairs told Xinhua by telephone that the two leaders are scheduled to meet here at the end of this week.
"Everything is open for discussions between the two heads of state including Iran's Uranium enrichment program as we (Uganda) are a non- permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, " he said.
Ahmadinejad arrives in the East African country on Thursday night for a two-day state visit which is seen as move by Iran to request Uganda to lobby the United Nations Security Council not to sanction the country over its nuclear enrichment program.
Iranian Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi met Museveni in February this year and told him that the impending sanctions against Tehran would be disastrous to the country's economy.
Museveni has kept a strong stance that developing countries have a right to acquire, develop and use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The United States and its allies have called for sanctions against Iran saying it is seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies insisting that it has a right to pursue peaceful nuclear.
Meanwhile Museveni and Ahmadinejad are likely to discuss possibilities of Iran investing in Uganda's oil sector.
Iran pledged to help Uganda build an oil refinery in May last year during a visit by the Ugandan leader to Iran.
"Iranians are welcome to explore any business opportunities in our oil sector like any other people," said Oryem.
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