JPM holds talks with Russian delegation on trade, investment

What you need to know:

  • President John Magufuli yesterday, 13 March, 2019, met and held discussions with a delegation from Russia led by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for African Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, who is the deputy Foreign Affairs minister, at State House in Dar es Salaam.

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli yesterday, 13 March, 2019, held talks with a delegation from Russia led by a special envoy for African Affairs representing the Russian presidency, deputy Foreign Affairs minister Mikhail Bogdanov, at State House in Dar es Salaam.

According to a statement by the director of Communication at State House Gerson Msigwa yesterday President Magufuli praised his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the healthy bilateral relations between their two countries that are based  on cooperation in various sectors.

In his statement, President Magufuli assured President Putin of his government’s commitment to the good relations between their two countries, promising continued  co-operation in trade, investment, tourism as well as social services such as healthcare, education and infrastructure development.

 

“Please relay my message to President Putin that Tanzanians love Russia and welcome him, as well as his fellow countrymen, to visit our country. , We also invite Russian investors to take advantage of various opportunities that exist in Tanzania for the benefit of both countries,” President Magufuli told Hon Bogdanov.

For his part, Hon Bogdanov - who visited Tanzania eight years ago - praised the Tanzanian government for the big gains that it had made in a short period and reiterated his country’s commitment to continued cooperation with Tanzania.

Hon Bogdanov said Tanzania was part of African governments that Russia was working with to increase the speed of development. He revealed that soon Tanzania and Russia will pen an agreement on starting a Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) on trade, investments and economic resources as well as the use of opportunities in both countries to benefit their peoples.

Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, said after successful talks Tanzania expected that the JPC would help develop the economy through minerals, gas and tourism especially at a time when Russia has declared Tanzania to be the country with the best tourist attractions in the world.

The talks were attended by Tanzania’s ambassador to Russia, Maj Gen (rtd) Simon Mumwi and his counterpart in the country Yuri Popov.

Meanwhile president Magufuli met and held talks with a team of experts from from Tanzania and Morocco who are involved in the construction of a stadium in Dodoma, that will be funded by the King of Morocco His Highness Mohammed VI.

The Moroccan ambassador in Tanzania who led the delegation of experts from his country, Hon Abdelilah Benryane, besides holding talks on the good relations between the two countries they also held deliberations on implementation of projects that the countries agreed on during the King of Morocco’s tour of the country in 2016. They included the building of a mosque for the Muslim Council of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam as well as the commencement of construction of the football stadium in Dodoma.

TANROADS executive director, Eng Patrick Mfugale, said the stadium - which will be built in Nanenane along the Dodoma – Morogoro highway, will be shaped like Mt Kilimanjaro and will have the capacity to accommodate 85,000 to 100,005 spectators.