Sisi Receives Tanzanian PM at Ittihadiya Palace

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi held a meeting Wednesday with Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa at Ittihadiya Presidential Palace.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Tanzanian Agriculture Minister Japhet Hasunga and the Tanzanian ambassador to Cairo, Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.

“At the outset of the meeting, President Sisi demanded his greetings to be conveyed to the Tanzanian President John Joseph Magufuli, expressing his pride over the historical relations between Egypt and Tanzania”, Rady said.

“Sisi also announced his pleasure on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries”, Rady added.

The President also praised the recent momentum witnessed in the Egyptian-Tanzanian relations.

Sisi also stressed the state keenness to strengthen bilateral relations, activate the mechanisms of joint cooperation in various fields and increase joint investments and exchange of experiences in the field of mega-national projects to meet to needs of the two brotherly peoples.

“Egypt is looking forward to working with all its African brotherly countries, especially Tanzania, in the light of political, security and economic challenges facing the black continent”, Sisi added.

He called on all African countries to exert concerted efforts to confront all these challenges through activating the joint African action.

On his part, the Tanzanian premier conveyed the greetings of President Magufuli to El Sisi, expressing his country's appreciation for deep historic relations with Egypt.

He also stressed his country’s keenness to continue promoting cooperation frameworks to wider horizons.

During his visit to the Suez Canal axe region, Majaliwa expressed his admiration over the mega-projects being implemented there as models for comprehensive development.

In this vein, the Tanzanian PM congratulated Sisi over the great achievements of economic reform and national projects, expressing his country's aspiration to increase the volume of trade exchange with Egypt in order to maximize benefit of all potential owned by the two countries.

He also stressed his country’s keenness to support Egyptian companies and businessmen wishing to invest in various sectors.

The Premier praised the Egyptian active participation in the construction of Stiegler’s Gorge dam on the Basin of Rufiji River in Tanzania.

With regard to the New Administrative City NAC, he expressed his country's aspiration to benefit from the Egyptian experience in setting up a similar city in Tanzania.

Majaliwa also praised the current technical cooperation rates in building capacities between Egypt and Tanzania, especially that the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development EAPD provides technical support courses for Tanzanian cadres in various fields including agriculture, water, police, diplomacy, health, judiciary, food industries and others.

In another context, the Tanzanian Prime Minister congratulated President Sisi on his successful presidency of the African Union AU his year, hailing the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) during Niger’s summit.

In this regard, he added that the AfCFTA will make business on the continent easier and encourages African countries to trade among each other, while addressing issues that stifle intra-African trade such as high transport costs and cumbersome customs, among others.

The agreement also aims to increase the volume of intra-African trade from 17 percent to 60 percent by 2022.

Egypt and Tanzania trade exchange witnessed a remarkable development, registering $ 47.19 million in 2018 compared to $ 25.41 million in 2017. The trade balance between the two countries recorded $37.28 million.