The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Mpango, met with the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of India, Sanjay Seth, for high-level talks held at the State House in Dar es Salaam.
During their meeting, Vice President Mpango reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnership with India for the mutual benefit of both nations.
He noted that the official visit by President Samia Suluhu Hassan to India in October 2023 had significantly deepened the diplomatic and strategic relations between the two countries.
He emphasized the strong defence collaboration between Tanzania and India, which includes exchange visits by officials from both defence ministries, high-level military engagements, and joint training initiatives.
The Vice President praised India’s support in joint military exercises involving naval forces from Tanzania, India, and other African partner countries. These exercises also feature exhibitions of military equipment and defence technologies.
Dr. Mpango highlighted additional areas of defence cooperation, including joint military training in counterterrorism, anti-piracy operations, rescue missions, and maritime patrols.
He also commended India’s broader support to Tanzania in key sectors such as health, education, water, transportation, and other essential social services.
On his part, Deputy Defence Minister Sanjay Seth applauded the strengthening of ties between Tanzania and India, describing Tanzania as a trusted partner in diverse economic and social spheres including trade, investment, water, health, and education.
He revealed that Tanzania is now India’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade projected to reach USD 8 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year.
He also expressed gratitude to the Government of Tanzania for facilitating the ongoing joint naval training and defence equipment exhibitions, which are being conducted in collaboration with India and other African nations.
The talks were attended by the Minister of Defence and National Service, Ambassador Dr. Stergomena Tax, India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Bishwadip Dey, along with senior defence officials from both countries.