By Maureen Odunga
TANZANIA, through its embassy in France, is processing the opening of its Honorary Consulate Mission in Marseille to promote partnerships and boost economic diplomacy policy.
Marseille is the second largest city in France after Paris and has one of the largest ports in the country.
It has a population of more than two million, mostly from North and West African countries, as well as the Indian Ocean East African islands.
Tanzania Ambassador to France Samwel Shelukindo said in an exclusive telephone interview that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation has adopted a new strategy aiming at effectively using its Honorary Consular Missions to efficiently implement its economic diplomacy policy.
On this regard, Ambassador Shelukindo recently met and held meetings with the authorities of Marseille, taking into consideration the city can act as a major market for Tanzanian goods.
"There are approximately 120,000 residents of Comoro origin who could be potential buyers of Tanzania's products such as food (rice) and spices," he said.
He noted that apart from the French tourists visiting the country in large numbers, Marseille could be a good destination for Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) airplanes.
"The Comorians residing in France travel frequently to the Comoros Islands to visit their relatives and usually use other airline companies, which first pass via Addis Ababa and Dar es Salaam before going there," he said.
According to the envoy, in the past, when the Air France flights flew to Tanzania, the plane departed from Paris via Marseille to pick up passengers and then stopped-over in Dar es Salaam before heading to the Comoros.
He called upon the ATCL management to look at the possibility of identifying Marseille as one OF the future potential and lucrative destinations when it starts trips to Europe.
Besides economic cooperation, Marseille is also eying to establish sisterly relations with the Zanzibar Municipal Council.
First Deputy Mayor of Marseille Dr Michele Rubirola, who is in-charge of international cooperation, assured the Ambassador Shelukindo of the willingness of the City of Marseille to establish a sister relations with Zanzibar Municipal Council.
Ambassador Shelukindo pointed out that cooperation between Marseille and Zanzibar Municipal Council will further put Zanzibar on the world spotlight for investment opportunities.
Such initiative is in line with the recent directive of the President of Zanzibar Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi who called on the Tanzanian diplomatic missions abroad to promote the country.
Marseille is also the host of 70 General and Honorary Consulate Missions being the second city in France, after Paris, to have a large number of diplomatic representations.
In another development, Ambassador Shelukindo met with Mr Frederic Ronal, Vice-President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Marseille (CCI Marseille) in-charge of international development and cooperation, who expressed his readiness to assist in promoting investment opportunities in Tanzania.
He asserted that CCI is also looking forward to establishing cooperation with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA). The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Marseille is the oldest Chamber in France -- established in 1599.
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