Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, travelled to the Republic of India on October 8–10, 2023, at the request of Smt. Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India. A high-level delegation led by H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan included the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Hon. January Makamba (MP), representatives from various sectors, senior government officials, and members of the Tanzanian business community.
In a friendly and courteous setting, President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had official bilateral talks and exchanged opinions on bilateral, regional, and global matters of shared interest. The two leaders praised the countries’ already close, amicable, and cooperative ties and pointed out that Tanzania and India are seasoned allies with a long history of similar beliefs and values.
On October 10, 2023, H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan visited the India-Tanzania Business and Investment Forum and gave opening remarks to the Tanzanian and Indian business communities. She said that Tanzania has streamlined rules that are simple to follow, uses technology to register new businesses in the nation, and offers incentive programmes for the sector. With a goal to attract foreign direct investment from India by the end of 2025, Zanzibar in Tanzania has established a dedicated desk for Indian citizens and companies.
At the India-Tanzania Investment Forum in New Delhi, Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, welcomed the President of Tanzania. He noted that the friendship between the two countries has been elevated to the level of a strategic partnership and that the beautiful people-to-people and business partnership that already exists between the two countries will only get stronger in the years to come.
According to both parties, the strategic alliance will enable the two nations to work together on maritime security, defence cooperation, development partnerships, trade, and investment, among others.
The increased level of bilateral political involvement and strategic discussion on local, regional, and international concerns, such as the Indo-Pacific vision and the execution of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, was recognised with satisfaction by both parties.
The second Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting, which took place in Arusha on June 28 and 29, 2023, and produced a five-year roadmap for defence cooperation between the two nations, was hailed as a success by both parties. The two sides decided to increase cooperation in maritime security in the Indian Ocean region, acknowledging that Tanzania and India are maritime neighbours that face similar maritime security issues.
The Tanzanian government indicated interest in collaborating with the Indian government in the sphere of blue economy that include areas of tourism, maritime trade, services, and infrastructure; marine scientific research; seabed mining capabilities; ocean conservation; and maritime safety and security. In order to secure a tranquil, prosperous, and sustainable Indian Ocean Region, India and Tanzania decided to work together within the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
Additionally, the two nations have signed a total of six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that will further improve the relationship between the two countries in areas including communications, marine security, cultural exchange, and sports, among others.
