MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Uganda invites Russia to participate in joint ventures and coffee processing projects, head of the International Legal and Social Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda John Leonard Mugerwa told TASS.

"Uganda is Africa's largest coffee producer. Globally, we rank seventh, producing approximately 7 million 60-kg bags annually. We are looking to expand markets for our coffee. However, we would like to focus on creating greater added value through domestic coffee processing for subsequent export. We are open to the creation of joint ventures, we welcome Russian investors who could come and set up processing plants in Uganda or enter into joint projects with existing companies so that we can gain access to the Russian market," he said.

"In this way, we will provide added value to our coffee. Uganda's Foreign Minister places particular emphasis on economic and trade diplomacy, and through this initiative, we already see very good prospects in the Russian market. And we would like to significantly scale up this cooperation," Mugerwa added.