Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 25 (ANI): India and Tanzania on Wednesday held the third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Dar es Salaam to review and strengthen bilateral cooperation across trade, defense, digital public infrastructure, and health care.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that the meeting was led by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East and Southern Africa) in India’s MEA, and Felister Rugambwa, Director of the Asia and Australasia Department in Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
On the sidelines of the talks, Kain also called on Ambassador Samwel William Shelukindo, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
During the consultations, both delegations reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral ties, focusing on trade and investment, development partnerships, defense and security cooperation, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, health care, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, the MEA said.
To maintain momentum in key sectors, both sides agreed to hold upcoming meetings of the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee at mutually convenient dates.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, officials exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, expressing satisfaction with their close coordination at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
The MEA said the two countries agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations in India.
Earlier, the President of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, visited India from July 17 to 20 at the invitation of Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan. He was accompanied by First Lady Mariyam Mwinyi.
President Mwinyi and Vice President Radhakrishnan reviewed the full spectrum of India-Tanzania relations and explored new opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in the blue economy, tourism, technology, health care, and education, the MEA said in an official statement.
According to the statement, President Mwinyi held bilateral discussions with the vice president.
“Both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Tanzania relations and explored new avenues to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as blue economy, tourism, technology, health and education.”
“The two sides positively assessed the recent expansion in bilateral trade and investment linkages and development partnership,” the statement added.
President Mwinyi also extended an invitation to the vice president to pay an official visit to Tanzania, which was graciously accepted.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also called on the visiting dignitary during the visit.
The discussions focused on the broad development partnership between the two countries, including the development of IIT Madras Zanzibar as a Center of Excellence for Higher Education in Africa, the MEA added. (ANI)
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