Business is interesting: Putin noted the growth potential of trade with Tanzania

Russia and Tanzania have every opportunity to increase trade, Vladimir Putin said, receiving President of the African Republic Samia Suluha Hassan in the Kremlin. The country's leader arrived in Russia as part of a state visit that will last until June 5. Tanzania is ready to promote the further development of trade between the Russian Federation and East African countries through the port of Dar es Salaam located on the coast of the Indian Ocean, the delegation of this country told Izvestia. In 2026, the first batch of containers from Novorossiysk arrived there. Tanzania is also interested in cooperation with Russia on the construction of nuclear power plants.

Visit of the President of Tanzania to Russia

The last time the leader of Tanzania visited our country was back in 1969, when it was the independence fighter of Tanganyika and the first head of state, Julius Nyerere. The current president of the country, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is also an iconic personality — she became the first woman to hold the highest post in the country.

Samia Suluhu Hassan began her state visit to Russia with a solemn ceremony outside the Kremlin. In the Alexander Garden, she laid a wreath of scarlet carnations at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, adjusted the ribbons and, together with the delegation, observed a minute of silence in memory of the soldiers who fell during the Great Patriotic War. The ceremony was accompanied by the military exemplary orchestra of the honor guard.

Before the start of the negotiations, an official welcoming ceremony was held at the Grand Kremlin Palace (BKD), during which the leaders of Russia and Tanzania introduced members of their delegations to each other. Vladimir Putin and his Tanzanian counterpart entered the Green Living Room of the BKD together.

— This year we will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. And I am pleased to note that after your inauguration, you chose Russia as the first foreign country where you pay a state visit. We see this as a very good sign," Vladimir Putin said.

The President of Tanzania has quite a busy program ahead of him. The award ceremony will be held at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia on June 4.: She will receive the title of honorary doctor, with which the Russian leader congratulated her. Samii Suluhu Hassan is also expected to participate in the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"I am very glad, sincerely glad that you invited me to this beautiful country," she said. — I came to Russia to discuss bilateral cooperation and the sustainable development of our peoples.

Vladimir Putin noted that the countries need to increase trade turnover, for which "there are all possibilities."

— I mean a variety of directions. These are energy, geological exploration, transport, logistics in general, healthcare, education," the Russian leader stressed.

Following the meeting in the Green Living Room, the parties held talks in an expanded format. The Russian delegation included, in particular, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut, Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov. Judging by the composition of the government members, the main topics discussed were the development of trade and economic ties and political cooperation.

How Russia and Tanzania are developing cooperation

Tanzania is an important regional player. This is one of the most dynamically developing economies in Africa, said Vsevolod Sviridov, Deputy Director of the HSE Center for African Studies.

— Tanzania is one of the most politically and economically stable countries in Africa, a regional political heavyweight. It is very important that in recent years Russia has had more and more such partners in Africa, which gives additional stability to relations with the region," he told Izvestia.

Russia began to "discover" the eastern part of Africa relatively recently, emphasizes Maya Nikolskaya, head of the MGIMO African Studies Program. Russia's traditional partners in Africa are mostly states located in the northern part of the continent. Moscow is also developing relations with South Africa, which is a member of the BRICS.

— It is logical that Russian companies are still much less represented in Tanzania than Chinese, Indian or European ones. The lack of direct sea routes also has an impact, which makes logistics expensive and difficult. Nevertheless, the dynamics of trade looks encouraging: by the end of 2025, the trade turnover increased by almost 20%," Nikolskaya told Izvestia.

The key advantage of Tanzania is its geographical location. The country is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean, where the port of Dar es Salaam, a large and important port for East Africa, is located. Goods pass through it not only to Tanzania, but also to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and the DRC. In fact, the port serves a huge regional market with a population of over 300 million people. Thus, Tanzania can be considered as a gateway to East Africa.

—We are talking about a large number of goods that can be transported as part of trade from Russia to Tanzania," Plasudche Mbossa, head of the port authority, told Izvestia. — Tanzania borders many countries, which will open up access to the Russian market for other countries, and access to materials and resources from these countries for Russia.

By the way, in 2026, the FESCO transport group organized the first container transportation of Russian goods through Dar es Salaam on the Novorossiysk-Mumbai-Tanzania route.

"If such shipments become regular, Russia will receive a new channel to promote its products to East African markets," said Maya Nikolskaya.

Cooperation in the field of nuclear energy may be equally important. Last year, Rosatom launched a pilot project for uranium mining and processing in Tanzania. Izvestia found out that the country is very interested in building a nuclear power plant with the participation of Rosatom. A source in the delegation said that Tanzania sees Russia as the only partner capable of implementing this project.

Russia is interested in expanding the supply of food, fertilizers and industrial products, developing transport routes across the Indian Ocean and participating in mining projects. Tanzania is rich not only in uranium, but also in gold, natural gas, and nickel.

Tanzania is a promising logistical, investment and political center for Russia, through which it is possible to strengthen the Russian presence in one of the most dynamically developing regions of Africa. The most important achievement is the launch of direct flights from July. In addition, the two countries are discussing visa facilitation. By the end of 2025, the number of trips between states increased by 40% and reached 17.7 thousand.