Tanzania and Russia held their first Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation on October 29, 2024, at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNCC) in Dar es Salaam. 

This meeting was preceded by a technical session on October 28, 2024, chaired by Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary of the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Tausi Kida, and her Russian counterpart, Pavel Kalmychek, the Director of the Department for Bipartite Cooperation Development at the Ministry of Economic Development.

The meeting commission comes following the visit of the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maxim Reshetnikov, and his delegation, where he first held talks with Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on October 28, 2024. 

During the talks, Majaliwa highlighted Tanzania’s strategic geographical location, featuring multiple ports as attractive points for Russian investors. He also extended an invitation for Russian involvement in agriculture, underscoring Tanzania’s vision to become Africa’s food hub.

On October 29, 2024, Minister Kitila Mkumbo of the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, along with his Russian counterpart Maxim Reshetnikov, co-hosted the official commission meeting at JNCC.

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“Tanzania and Russia have been very good and effective friends for the past sixty-three years,” Mr Mkumbo said. “We have cooperated in many areas, mainly in the areas of politics and, of course, our diplomatic relations, which have gone uninterrupted for more than sixty years.”

Mkumbo noted that while their cooperation has traditionally focused on politics, the first joint intergovernmental cooperation agreement on trade and the economy was signed on December 29, 2022, marking a new momentum in the relationship.

“Many of our scientists in various fields, including engineering and medicine, were trained in Russia,” he added. “Indeed, our minister of natural resources and tourism is a product of the Russian education system,” the minister said, referring to Pindi Chana, who also held separate talks with Reshetnikov on tourism cooperation.

He added: “It’s difficult to discuss the political landscape of this country without making reference to the former Soviet Union and the current Russian Federation; our politics are heavily influenced by the Politics of that country.”

On his part, Mr Reshetnikov emphasised the resilience of Russia’s economy in the face of external challenges and pointed out key areas of strategic importance for his country in the new cooperation.

“On our side, we have defined several strategic priorities,” he said. “First and foremost is logistics; Tanzania’s advantageous geographical location on the Eastern Coast of the Indian Ocean and its connectivity with other African countries opens up greater opportunities for Russia.”

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He added: “Tanzania could become a single-entry point for our products to the African continent; at the same time, our country can serve as a window for Tanzania into the Eurasia market. There is significant potential for cooperation in the energy sector, which includes the development of peaceful nuclear energy, the construction of renewable energy facilities, and the mining of natural resources.”

Mr Reshetnikov further identified agriculture, pharmaceuticals, digital economy, urban development, tourism, education, and technology transfer as other priority areas for collaboration.

“We are ready to address these areas and discuss issues related to financial settlements and establishing contacts between our banks,” Reshetnikov added.

Significant political relations

Although trade between Tanzania and Russia has historically been moderate, with key Russian exports to Tanzania being defence and security equipment, wheat, and fertilisers, the two nations have maintained significant political relations. This stems from Tanzania’s position as a non-aligned country, engaging with both Eastern and Western blocs. 

In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Russian officials ramped up diplomatic outreach, seeking alliances in the face of sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited several African countries in 2022, though the initial response was tepid, with many African nations, including Tanzania, opting for neutrality in UN votes.

However, at the Russia-Africa Summit in July 2023, Russia gained some momentum. Tanzania maintained a cautious approach, sending its Prime Minister to the meeting. This was followed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s attendance at the BRICS summit in South Africa, where she emphasised the need for a fair global economic order.

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“One aspect that I consider critical in the course of dialogue is the call to redouble efforts and take concrete actions to address the north-south divide to deepen strategic financial trade, investment, and economic partnerships based on just international economic order,” President Samia noted in her address on August 24, 2025.

She added: “It is gratifying, however, to note that at least these challenges, the BRICS offer the possibility of coming up with a more equitable, balanced, and fair mechanism to deal with an international economic order that has thus far remained unattainable and an illusive aspiration.”

As Tanzania seeks new avenues to fund its mega-projects and attract investment beyond the usual geopolitical players, it has expanded its financial partnerships to include countries like India, South Korea, and Gulf states, in addition to traditional partners like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), the United States, the European Union (EU), and China.

Since the end of 2023, global diplomatic pressure on Russia has notably decreased, particularly from countries in the Global South that had been engaging with Russia cautiously. In response, Russia has intensified its efforts to cultivate friendly relations, an area where it had previously lagged behind its Western counterparts. 

Centre of direction

With its non-aligned foreign policy, Tanzania has emerged as an attractive partner for Russia, a point emphasised by Reshetnikov, who remarked, “Tanzania remains as one of Russia’s centres of direction in Africa.”

Under Ambassador Andrey Avetisyan, the Russian Embassy in Tanzania has also become more active, building relationships with Tanzanian officials and the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM). 

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Mr Avetisyan has met with the Deputy Speaker, Mussa Azzan Zungu, and various other ministers. He has participated in cultural events and recently met with Arusha’s Regional Commissioner, Paul Makonda, as well as officials from the East African Community (EAC).

With the banning of Russia International Television (RT), the country’s state broadcaster, on various Pay TV platforms such as DSTV, the network has also established itself in Tanzania. 

The network has introduced its presence in Dar es Salaam using several posters of Tanzania’s founding President, Julius Nyerere, on the anti-colonial struggle. A similar message is seen in various countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia using former founding Presidents of the nations.

With the establishment of this new commission, both countries are poised to advance their national interests. 

Tanzania aims to leverage economic diplomacy to attract investment and financing for its development projects, while Russia seeks to expand its influence beyond Central and West Africa, where its influence is more prominent.

Tanzania Minister of Planning has reported that some of the key items in the pipeline following the meeting include investments in the fertilizer and gas industries, as well as the establishment of direct flights from Moscow to Zanzibar to boost tourism. The second meeting of the commission is scheduled to take place in Moscow in May 2025.