Tanzania President Launch India-Tanzania Strategic Partnership

The first woman President of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has visited India on a three-day (8 to 10 October 2023) state. This visit of President Hassan took place on the invitation of Indian President Draupadi Murmu.

• President Samia Suluhu Hassan was accompanied by a high-level delegation including former Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation Januari Makamba (MP) to India. It included members from various sectors, senior government officials as well as members of the Tanzanian business community.
• President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held official bilateral talks in a very warm and cordial atmosphere and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Roadmap ready to increase India-Tanzania cooperation:

• Both the countries have decided to give the status of strategic partnership to the mutual cooperation relationship. Both the countries have prepared a roadmap for the next five years to deepen mutual cooperation in the defense sector.
• In the press conference after talks with President Suluhu, PM Modi termed the President's visit to India as historic and said that we consider Tanzania a very important partner.

Tanzania's closest economic partner in Africa:

• Tanzania is India's closest economic partner in Africa. Trade in local currency has started between the two countries and the possibility of further increasing it is being worked out.
• Now both the countries have laid the foundation of strategic partnership. We are serious about doing more business in local currency and are finalizing an agreement in this regard.
• The success of payment technology UPI in India can be replicated in Tanzania also. A meeting is going to be held soon in this regard between experts from both the countries.

Five-year roadmap in defense sector:

• Both the countries are also pursuing talks regarding the use of space and nuclear energy for common interest. PM Modi said that we have prepared a five-year roadmap in the defense sector. This will establish relationships in military training, cooperation in the maritime sector and defense industry.

Six important agreements were signed between India and Tanzania:

• Six important agreements were signed between the two countries in front of the Prime Minister of India and the President of Tanzania. This can be seen in the following points:

1. Agreement on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation.
2. Technical Agreement between the Indian Navy of the Republic of India and Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation of the United Republic of Tanzania on sharing of white shipping information.
3. Cultural Exchange Program between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for the year 2023-2027.
4. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Sports Council of Tanzania and the Sports Authority of India on cooperation in the field of sports.
5. Agreement between Jawaharlal Nehru Ports Authority under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Republic of India and Tanzania Investment Center of the United Republic of Tanzania for the establishment of an Industrial Park in Tanzania.
6. Agreement between Cochin Shipyard Limited and Marine Services Company Limited on cooperation in the maritime industry.

• India has decided to provide scholarships to more students from Tanzania.

Tanzania supports permanent membership of India in UN Security Council:

• In the meeting, the President of Tanzania has supported making India a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
• Many types of agreements have been signed between the private sectors of the two countries.
• Dozens of Indian companies have invested in Tanzania in recent years. In a joint statement issued later, both the countries have said that with the establishment of strategic partnership, progress can be made more rapidly in the fields of maritime security, defense cooperation and trade and investment.

RBI gives permission to open Vostro account:

• Both countries are enthusiastic about promoting trade in local currency. Recently RBI has given permission to open a Vostro account for trading in Tanzanian Shilling and Indian Rupee. Both countries are ready to solve whatever problems arise in this regard.
• Clean energy (green energy) is another important area between the two countries where there is great potential for development.

India's strategic importance in Africa:

• To counter China's dominance in the African continent, India has found a major partner in Tanzania.
• The decisions taken in the bilateral talks held on October 9, 2023 between Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan and PM Narendra Modi, who is on an official visit to India, can have far-reaching consequences.