Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia-Tanzania relations are developing intensively.
- Bilateral trade between Russia and Tanzania increased by 25% last year.
- Potential growth areas include energy, exploration, transport, logistics, healthcare, and education.
- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit is the first state visit by a Tanzanian leader since 1969.
- Tanzania's relations with Western nations have recently deteriorated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the relationship with Tanzania as developing "intensively," during a meeting with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Moscow. Putin highlighted that bilateral trade rose by 25% last year and emphasized the need for continued expansion of economic cooperation. He pointed to opportunities in various sectors, including energy, geological exploration, transport, logistics, healthcare, and education. Putin noted that this year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. President Hassan stated that the visit holds "special significance," as it is the first state visit by a Tanzanian leader to Russia since 1969 when Julius Nyerere, the country's first president, visited the Soviet Union. She expressed gratitude for Russia's contributions to Africa's liberation movements and Tanzania's development over the decades. President Hassan has begun a three-day visit to Russia, traveling with a business delegation. Relations with Western nations have cratered in recent months amid criticism of Tanzania's handling of dissent. The meeting follows the third Russian-Tanzanian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in May, where Tanzania's minister of state for planning and investment, Kitila Alexander Mkumbo, stressed the importance of agricultural cooperation for food security and job creation. The historical ties between Russia and Tanzania date back to 1896 with a trade agreement between the Russian Empire and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. A notable episode from 1896 involved Selim bin Abakari, a native of Zanzibar, who traveled through the Russian Empire and documented his experiences. Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Tanganyika were established shortly after its independence in 1961. Following the 1964 revolution in Zanzibar and its subsequent union with Tanganyika to form Tanzania, Soviet-Tanzanian relations were formalized.