External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has embarked on a four-day official visit to the United Republic of Tanzania today. The visit, scheduled from July 5th to July 8th, aims to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Tanzania, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The East African nation bordering the Indian Ocean is a gateway for India to the African continent, thus holding immense importance for India. The visit aims to boost the friendly relationship traditionally enjoyed by both nations and forge the India-Africa collaboration in various sectors.
Infrastructural Development Initiatives in Tanzania
From the 5th to the 6th of July, the EAM will visit Zanzibar. In these two days, he will visit a water supply project funded by the Exim Bank on behalf of the Government of India through a line of credit. To resolve the severe water crisis that Tanzania has been dealing with for decades, India has helped its African counterpart rehabilitate and improve the water supply system by funding water supply projects worth $500 million across 17 towns in Tanzania in 2018.
He will conduct meetings with the top leaders in Zanzibar. The EAM will also attend a reception onboard the Indian Naval Ship Trishul, currently visiting Tanzania.
From Zanzibar, the EAM will go to Dar es Salaam, the largest city and the commercial port of Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast. The two-day visit to the city from the 7th to the 8th of July will focus on deepening the political, diplomatic, and economic ties between India and Tanzania.
External Affairs Minister to Conduct High-Level Meetings with Tanzanian Leaders
In his second stop in Dar es Salaam EAM S. Jaishankar is scheduled to co-chair the 10th India-Tanzania Joint Commission Meeting alongside his Tanzanian counterpart. He will meet the country’s top leadership, including several ministers from Cabinet rank.
He will also convene the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for India. The EAM will inaugurate an India-Tanzania business meeting in Dar es Salaam to emphasize the economic ties between both countries further. Afterward, he will speak to the Indian community residing in the city and will also inaugurate the bust of Swami Vivekananda in Dar es Salaam.
Educational Assistance and Bilateral Cooperation
In May, The Citizen, a Tanzanian daily, reported that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will open its campus in Tanzania’s Zanzibar in October 2024 to further the educational cooperation between both nations. Set up under the name IIT Madras with a batch of 50 undergraduate and 20 master’s students; the campus will become one of the three overseas IITÂ campuses, along with the ones in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier, it was reported that during his visit to Tanzania, Dr. S. Jaishankar will sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Tanzania to establish the IIT Campus. However, the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs before the EAM’s visit has not mentioned any development related to the MoU.
Image Source: PTI via Republic World
India-Tanzania bilateral relations have seen significant growth over the years ranging from various sectors, including energy cooperation, maritime security, and connectivity, as well as military and defense cooperation.
On June 28th and 29th, India and Tanzania held the second edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, where both engaged in discussions to strengthen security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Both sides have finalized a five-year roadmap to expand bilateral defense cooperation, including infrastructure building and military equipment and technology collaboration.
S. Jaishankar’s visit to Tanzania is expected to further the existing cooperation between India and Tanzania by reinforcing cultural, diplomatic, and economic ties.
