Tanzania-Turkey Forge $1 Billion Trade Pledge in President Samia Suluhu’s State Visit

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan embarked on a significant state visit to Turkey from the 17th to the 21st of April 2024, aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.

During her visit, President Hassan met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

President Hassan and President Erdoğan engaged in fruitful discussions, focusing on enhancing trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

They reaffirmed their commitment to increasing the bilateral trade volume to USD 1 billion, demonstrating a shared ambition for economic growth and prosperity.

In line with their ambitious goals, President Hassan and President Erdoğan oversaw the signing of six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering key areas such as education, economic diplomacy, and cultural cooperation.

During their discussions, President Erdoğan and President Hassan also addressed pressing global issues, including the ongoing crisis in Gaza. They emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and pave the way for a two-state solution.

At the press conference, President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure at welcoming President Hassan to Turkey, emphasizing the significance of her visit in strengthening bilateral ties, commenting: “We thoroughly reviewed our cooperation during today’s talks. We discussed the steps that can be taken to boost mutual trade and investments. Our bilateral trade volume increased from USD 11 million in 2003 to USD 345 million last year. However, these figures fall short of reflecting our true potential despite the increase. We aim to increase our trade volume to USD 1 billion in the first phase. We will intensify our efforts to this end in the period ahead. The Türkiye-Tanzania Business Forum, to be held with the participation of Ms. President tomorrow in Istanbul, will serve as an important step in this direction.”

Noting that Turkish companies have thus far successfully implemented 14 projects worth USD 6.4 billion in Tanzania, President Erdoğan also stated: “Tanzania ranks the third in Africa and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of the total number of projects undertaken by Turkish contractors. Our companies have made major investments in Tanzania in such areas as railway construction and modernization, shipyard and shipbuilding, and road construction. It is a source of pride for us that a large part of the Standard Gauge Railway, which will traverse the entire country, is being built by a Turkish company.”

President Hassan, in turn, commended Turkey’s role as a valued partner to Tanzania and expressed gratitude for the warm welcome extended to her delegation. She highlighted the importance of the MoUs signed during her visit and emphasized the need for concrete actions to implement the agreed areas of cooperation.

“Going forward we have agreed that our ministers and teams of experts meet and come up with a framework that can be used to strategize on the implementation of the agreed areas of cooperation,” she noted.

During her five-day state visit to Turkey, President Hassan was awarded the degree honoris causa by Ankara University. The doctorate is in recognition of her exceptional leadership in advancing social, political, and economic reforms that have improved the welfare of Tanzanians, enhanced Tanzania’s reputation around the world, and developed commercial, economic, and political relations between Tanzania and other countries, including Turkey.