BY SUKHDEV CHHATBAR
Tanzania and Russia have signed new cooperation agreements aimed at expanding trade, investment and technical cooperation in key sectors, including tourism, agriculture, energy, transport, education, health and strategic minerals.
The agreements followed the third meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Russia–Tanzania Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Arusha recently alongside the Tanzania–Russia Business and Investment Forum.
The Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, said the two countries were working on several legal agreements to strengthen cooperation, with some already signed.
The cooperation includes language, education and health partnerships, as well as wider economic collaboration.
President Samia is expected to travel to Moscow next month to finalise some agreements.
Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said Moscow wants the relationship to go beyond ordinary trade.
“It is very important for us to translate trade interaction into mutual investment and then into technological development,” he said.
Tourism was one of the major areas of interest. Tanzania received about 2.3 million international visitors in 2025, while Russian arrivals rose from about 8,200 in 2022 to more than 17,000 in 2025.
The planned direct flights between Moscow, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar could further boost tourism and business travel.
The talks also highlighted Russian interest in agriculture, gas, logistics and minerals, including uranium.
The Mkuju River uranium project remains one of the key areas of strategic interest, given Russia’s experience in nuclear technology.
Mr Reshetnikov said both sides had agreed to speed up the drafting of an investment protection agreement.
The real test will be whether the Arusha agreements lead to bankable projects, jobs, technology transfer and increased exports, stakeholders noted.
