By Alice Kagina, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania
President of Rwanda, Paul
Kagame on Thursday, April 27, arrived in Tanzania for a two-day visit as both
countries seek to strengthen bilateral relations.
Upon arrival, he was received
by Stergomena Lawrence Tax, the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and East
African Cooperation.
Kagame is expected to hold a
tête-à-tête discussion with President Samia Hassan before joining
members of both delegations for a bilateral meeting. From there, the two Heads
of State will address members of the press.
According to a statement from
the Office of the President, Kagame will also attend a dinner hosted in his
honour.
Kagame’s visit to Tanzania
comes at a time when both countries share cordial relations in various sectors
of cooperation. The ties are strongest in trade
and investment with potential in multiple other avenues.
For instance, Tanzania’s
exports to Rwanda increased to $277.8 million in 2021, up from $60.1 million, while
Rwanda’s exports to Tanzania $2.2 million up from $1.3 million in the same
period.
In August 2021, President
Suluhu visited Rwanda, in a move that aimed at strengthening ties between the
two neighboring countries where she witnessed the signing of different
agreements in various sectors for the social and economic growth of both
nations.
Rwanda uses the port of Dar es
Salaam for much of her inbound and outbound cargo, (over 80 per cent) through
what is commonly known as the Central Corridor.
Ahead of the visit, Paula
Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation in July led a delegation of public and
private sector to Tanzania to engage in cooperation in the sector.
Some of Rwanda’s submarine sea
cables IT infrastructure are through the port of Dar es Salaam.
The Rwanda Defence Force Chief
of Defence Staff, Gen. Jean-Bosco Kazura and Inspector General of Police CGP
Dan Munyuza in the same year visited Tanzania where they held talks with their
counterparts.
The meeting ended with a
commitment by both countries to cooperate closely on border control and crime
prevention, information and intelligence sharing on terrorism and other
transnational crimes.
In 2018, the two countries agreed on
joint construction of a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Isaka
(northwestern Tanzania) to Kigali, a move which will facilitate movement of
goods between the two countries.
Studies conducted by the East
African Community (EAC) had shown that the Tanzanian railway route would cost
Rwanda between $800 and $900 million.
Popular Tanzanian businesses
operating in Rwanda include Azam Group, Bakhresa, Matelas Dodoma, among others,
while Rwandan companies like Sulfo Rwanda, and Pharmalab, have set foot in
Tanzania.
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