Tanzanian leader’s Russia visit will take ties to new level – expert
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s visit to Russia this week elevates relations between the two countries to a new level, reflecting the rapid growth in bilateral cooperation in recent years, Andrey Maslov, head of the Center for African Studies at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics, has said.
Speaking to RT, Maslov noted that Tanzania has maintained an independent political course for decades, resisting outside interference and preserving key elements of its socialist legacy after the 1990s.
“Tanzania successfully combines rapid economic growth with political resilience and stability,” he said.
Strong economic performance is supported by growth in tourism, agriculture, mining, and transport, the expert noted, adding that “tourism alone generates nearly $4 billion annually” and other sectors “continue to steadily expand.”
Maslov pointed to tourism as one of the main areas in bilateral relations. Around 17,000 Russian tourists visited Tanzania last year, he said, adding that flows are expected to multiply when direct Air Tanzania flights are launched between Moscow and Zanzibar from July 2.
“This growth is further supported by Tanzania’s expanding offerings for travelers, with its tourism potential remaining largely untapped,” the expert said.
Speaking about the Mantra uranium project in southern Tanzania, which is being developed by the subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Maslov noted that the Tanzanian authorities and President Samia Suluhu Hassan personally “have secured all the necessary conditions for its implementation, paving the way for the birth of a new uranium mining industry in the country.”
Maslov also highlighted expanding cooperation in standardization, certification, and pharmaceutical production.
At the same time, he warned that rising import costs remain a key challenge for Tanzania amid the ongoing crisis in the Persian Gulf, which has pushed up fuel and fertilizer prices.
“Fortunately, Tanzania remains largely independent of food imports. At the same time, the nation ranks among the continent’s leaders in digitalization and financial sector development,” he added.
The comments come as President Samia arrived in Moscow on a state visit on Tuesday, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Samia’s trip marks the first visit by a Tanzanian leader to Moscow in more than half a century. The previous high-level visit took place in October 1969, when Julius Nyerere, the first president of the African state, traveled to the Soviet Union.
