During a recent visit to the United States, Tanzanian president, Jakaya Kikwete, met with the newly elected US president, Barack Obama, to discuss the renewal of US support of the Tanzania economy in its health, education and agriculture sectors.
According to a statement that was released by the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, during the meeting, the two heads of state had “a valuable discussion on a range of issues.”
Included in these discussions was an exchange of ideas and viewpoints on the best methods to employ in order to further develop the US-Tanzania partnership on improving development policy.
“President Obama expressed his appreciation for the close bilateral relationship the United States shares with Tanzania,” read part of the released statement.
According to the statement, the two presidents, along with other leaders of state, expressed the wish to continue working together in order to find solutions to potential future issues.
In addition to his meeting with President Obama, President Kikwete also met with American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton who said that Tanzania was a country that had made, “so much progress and has an extraordinary potential that we wish to partner with and assist in every way possible.”
In his response, President Kikwete thanked the US for their continued support.
“I’m here to reaffirm our commitment for continued cooperation and friendship,” he said.
President Kikwete went on to praise the current relationship between the two countries, saying that they are able to “see eye-to-eye on many international issues.”
The highly publicized meeting between the two heads of state attracted both pessimism and optimism, according to a report in The Citizen, with some expressing the belief that little would come from the meeting and others seeing it as an opportunity for the country to promote and develop their country
According to The Citizen, some have expressed a caution about expectations from the meeting, indicating a belief that Tanzania should not expect much to come from the meeting as the United States is preoccupied with other countries and issues
On the other hand, the executive director of the Tanzania Investment Centre, Emmanuel Ole Naiko, remained optimistic, saying that Tanzania could profit from the increased investor confidence that was likely to accompany the recent meeting.
Mr. Ole Naiko went on to specifically cite President Kikwete’s recent trips to the US as a possible explanation for the current improved levels of American investments in the country.
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