Mozambique, a Southern African country, and Uganda, an East African country, are currently in talks to extend visa exemptions.
This forms part of a strategy to boost regional integration, specifically within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Negotiations are underway between the two governments to permit their citizens to travel freely between the two countries, as stated by The Monitor.
Uganda’s commissioner of immigration control, Colonel Geoffrey Kambere, mentioned that the government of Mozambique has proposed that Ugandans visiting the country in southeast Africa should be allowed entry without a visa.
“They have proposed a visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, official, and honorary passports. This proposal is being reviewed by our legal experts, and if accepted by the Ugandan government, it will be a great step forward,” the colonel stated.
“Our colleagues in Mozambique currently pay $50 for a visa to come here and they have expressed that as fellow Africans, these payments should be removed,” he added.
If implemented, Mozambique will join the list of visa-exempted travellers to Uganda, which includes Botswana, Ireland, South Sudan, Malaysia, Angola, Kenya, Malawi and Comoros.
“Currently, the number of Mozambicans coming to Uganda is small, but this agreement is a great opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations and boost trade,” the immigration commissioner stated.
Ambassador Richard Kabonero, who heads the regional economic cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed to the press at a joint permanent commission gathering in Kampala on Monday that the discussions centred on establishing bilateral agreements in the political, security, and economic sectors.