DAR ES SALAAM: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan will travel to Türkiye tomorrow for a State visit aimed at elevating the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr January Makamba said that President Samia’s state visit comes as a result of an invitation from her counterpart, Mr Recep Erdogan of Türkiye.
“President Samia will be leaving the country tomorrow for a State visit to Türkiye and she will be back on Sunday,” he said.
Elaborating, he noted that the last time a sitting president from Tanzania visited Türkiye was 14 years ago, when the fourth phase Head of State, Dr Jakaya Kikwete paid a visit to the European nation.
Likewise, Mr Makamba pointed out that the Turkish president last visit to Tanzania was in 2017, when the fifth phase President the late Dr John Magufuli invited President Erdogan.
“That was the ground of the State visit, particularly intended in further deepening the long-time built diplomatic relation between the two countries,” he pointed out.
He said Türkiye is one of the fastest growing economies with healthier multilateral relation with Africa including Tanzania-that is its key trade partner in terms of export and imports and vice – versa.
“The State visits are important on heightening diplomatic relations, politically and economically…we need Türkiye to be our closer friend and our president has been invited and she has accepted the invitation,” said the minister.
In accelerating trade and economic relation, Mr Makamba underlined the vital position of Türkiye in the Group of Twenty (G20) member states with latest technologies and intensive capital possession, which Tanzania can exploit to attract investments.
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The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
“As we know Türkiye has vast businesses here in our country and many Tanzanians travel to Türkiye for trade, our country needs technologies and market available in Türkiye. We need more Turkish investors as of now, there are many major Turkish companies operating in Tanzania” he said.
He said the trade volume between Tanzania and Türkiye reached 22 million US dollars (57bn/-) last year in comparison to 9 million US dollars (23bn/-) in the past 6 years-that is between 2017 to 2023.
“There is an upward trend in trade volume between Tanzania and Türkiye. Our country mainly exports minerals and raw agroproducts,” he said.
In another development, he said the two countries have been collaborating in fostering development among them, especially in areas of education, clean water supply and health emphasising that the State visit seeks to upscale the cooperation.
Detailing a series of events arranged to grace the visit in Türkiye, Mr Makamba said President Samia will be received by her counterpart, Mr Edorgan and thereafter, the two Heads of State will have a tete a tete followed by a formal talk of their entourages.
He explained that the talks will rotate on areas of cooperation between the two countries and also identify new opportunities between them.
Likewise, the minister noted that the two countries are expected to sign 6 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) including cementing collaborations on higher learning education.
Equally, the two countries will enhance transfer of technologies through exchange of experts, especially in Tanzania’s priority areas of food production, manufacturing, architecture and construction as well as medical science.
Furthermore, he said after the reception that will be accompanied by mounted parade, there will be a gift exchange ceremony between the two Heads of State and a banquet organised by the host-President Mr Erdogan in honour of Dr Samia’s visit.
In a related development, Mr Makamba added that after the State activities, President Samia will attend the Tukish-Tanzania Trade and Investment Forum in Türkiye business hub of Istanbul.
At the capital city, President Samia will have an audience with top 15 Turkish trading companies with the aim of wooing them to come and invest in Tanzania.
Highlighting the diplomatic relation timeline, Mr Makamba said Tanzania and Türkiye bilateral collaboration dates back to 1963 and later on in 1979, the country opened an embassy in the East African nation and in 1984 it was closed and reopened in 2009.
He added that Tanzania on its part opened an embassy in the country in 2017
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