During his visit to Uganda, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi condemned Western countries over what he called their self-centered and arrogant attitude towards developing countries.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the visiting leader stressed the need for Western nations to respect the independence and freedom of other countries.
"Because of Western countries' dominance, they do not want to see developing countries adding value to their resources or to process their raw materials," President Raisi emphasized.
Despite these challenges, Raisi highlighted Iran's advancements in various sectors, such as medicine and pharmaceuticals, where they produce 95% of the drugs they require.
In addition, Raisi claimed that Western countries, while accusing developing nations of human rights abuses, are themselves the biggest violators of human rights.
He also expressed Iran's readiness to assist Uganda in developing its oil industry, based on Iran's extensive experience in this field. He also promised to share his country's experience in science and technology with the East African country.
President Museveni took the opportunity to invite Iran to join in mutual efforts aimed at Uganda's agricultural development.
Regarding Uganda's recent adoption of its Anti-Homosexuality legislation, Raisi blamed the Western world for promoting homosexuality, suggesting that it aims to undermine the human race.
In late May, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 into law in an effort to defend the country's cultural, religious and family values. The move was heavily criticized by the West.
Raisi expressed gratitude to Uganda for its stance against homosexuality and highlighted the common ground between his country and Uganda in valuing the establishment of families.
"The West is today trying to promote the idea of homosexuality and of course by homosexuality they are trying to end the generation of human beings and at the same time they are acting against the inherence and the nature of human beings," stressed Raisi. "I believe that this issue and these strong attacks by the West against the establishment of families and against the culture of nations is another area of cooperation for Iran and Uganda."
Raisi's visit to Uganda marks the second leg of his Africa tour, with Kenya and Zimbabwe also on his itinerary. Iranian media reported that Raisi is the first Iranian president to visit the African continent in the past 11 years.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry described President Raisi's visit to the continent as an opportunity for a quantum leap in cooperation between Tehran and African countries.