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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Entebbe International Airport has been re-modified to ease travel needs and clearance for dignitaries coming to Uganda for the G77 + China summit in April.
The G77 is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, used as a platform to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues. The coalition which was started by 77 countries, now has 135 member countries.
Uganda was confirmed as the host of the summit in October, last year making it the first African country to host the event, which brings together heads of state of the Group of 77 coalition and more than 300 other high-level dignitaries from the member states and the United Nations. The meeting which will take place at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo from April 17 to 19, 2020.
Last month, a delegation from the Secretariat of the G77 + China in New York visited Entebbe International Airport to assess the readiness of Uganda for the summit. The officials, among other places, visited the Immigration, the arrivals and departure terminals of Entebbe International Airport and the VIP Lounge.
Eng. Ayub Sooma, the Director for Aviation Safety and Security at Entebbe International Airport told URN that measures have been taken to ensure that dignitaries coming for the summit do not go through the lengthy queues like other travelers and that the airport is not congested when they arrive.
Sooma says that some of the immigration stalls will be solely reserved for G77 delegates and that these will all use the VIP section at the airport.
Entebbe International Airport which, according to the Civil Aviation Authority was constructed to handle only 200,000 Passengers, has experienced an increase in traffic in recent years. It currently handles more than 2 million passengers every year.
In January this year, the first sitting of the G77 + China confirmed that Uganda was ready to host the summit.
Moses Nagamootoo, the Prime Minister of the Cooperate Republic of Guyana, also the incoming chairperson of the G77 + China highlighted key issues that need to be emphasized in the summit which among others include the revitalization of the Paris Agreement and the unification of the G77 + China organization to collectively advocate for a better world with equal opportunities in the United Nations.
The Entebbe International Airport has been undergoing expansion for the last five years. Part of the work covered the construction of airside access roads, landslide accesses, a new cargo centre and the renovation of runways and taxiways. The expansion was mainly undertaken to address passenger traffic challenges, safety and security as well as complying with aviation regulations.
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