Trade turnover rose by 25% last year, the Russian president has noted

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised ties with Tanzania as developing "intensively," as he welcomed his counterpart from the African nation, Samia Suluhu Hassan, for talks in Moscow on Wednesday. 

Putin noted that this year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, adding that bilateral trade increased by 25% last year and stressing that economic cooperation should continue to expand. 

According to the Russian leader, opportunities for growth exist across a range of sectors, including energy, geological exploration, transport, logistics, healthcare and education.

"[Bilateral relations] have always developed at a good level and intensively," Putin said. He noted that the Tanzanian president had chosen Russia for her first state visit abroad after taking office in November. 

Samia, in turn, said the visit carried "special significance" both for her personally and for Tanzania. She noted that more than half a century had passed since the previous state visit, when Julius Nyerere, the first president of the African state, traveled to the Soviet Union in 1969. 

She also expressed gratitude for Russia's role in Africa's liberation movements and stressed Moscow had made an important contribution to Tanzania's development over the decades.

"We [Tanzania] have been working with Russia to date and with the much development we are talking in my country, Russia has got a great contribution on it," the Tanzanian leader said.

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The talks came after Tanzania hosted the third meeting of the Russian-Tanzanian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in May. During the meeting, Kitila Alexander Mkumbo, Tanzania's minister of state for planning and investment in the president's office, said that "developing cooperation in the agricultural sector can make a significant contribution to food security and job creation."

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