(Issued at State House Entebbe, Uganda)
 
Following is the text of the joint declaration that was issued (Monday, 4 July 2016) at the regional counterterrorism summit in Entebbe, Uganda:
 
1.    At the invitation of His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, a historic Israel – Ethiopia – Kenya – Rwanda – South Sudan – Tanzania – Zambia – Uganda summit meeting took place in Entebbe on Monday, 4 July 2016.

2.    In attendance were His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda; His Excellency Salva Kiir Maryadit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; His Excellency Edgar Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia and His Excellency Augustine Mahiga, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania.

3.    The Heads of State and Government shared the view that the Summit reflected the importance of the friendly relations between their respective countries and Israel, and presented an opportunity to send a positive message on North-South Cooperation.

4.    During the summit, it was observed that terrorism continues to be a major threat to international peace and security and to the very survival of human civilization. The leaders emphasized the need for increased regional and international cooperation in all fields, including cyber security and information gathering, to confront this scourge.

5.    The leaders agreed upon the importance of encouraging new avenues of cooperation, based on human capacity building and the use of new and innovative technologies, particularly renewable energy and sustainable development.

6.    The leaders expressed their appreciation to His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for convening and hosting the Regional Summit. They also expressed appreciation for the warm hospitality accorded to them and their respective delegations.

7.    The Heads of State and Government looked forward to further bilateral cooperation between their countries and Israel.