F O R E W O R D
Dear Readers , Jambo ! Namaskar !
It gives me great pleasure to write the foreword for this Special Edition of the Tanzanian High Commission in New Delhi . This edition seeks to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the Union between the then two Sovereign States – Tanganyika and Zanzibar that took place on 26th April 1964 .
Tanzania has learnt much through the 54 years of the Union . It has been a fruitful and worthwhile journey one filled with lessons , compromise , and trade-offs for the mutual benefit of the people of the Union that is , the United Republic of Tanzania . The Union was and continues to be a historic and living example of a step towards realising the vision of a United Africa .
Throughout this telling journey , the United Republic of Tanzania has had the good fortune to have some good role models and staunch friends such as India . The Union also came at the height of the Non-Alignment movement which Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the founders . In the early days of the Union , the policy of non-alignment permitted Tanzania to navigate through cold war challenges .
The strong , long and rewarding relationship links between India and Tanzania can be traced back through history to the time of pre-colonial trade when sailors from India visited regularly the East African coast to trade . Some settled in Tanzania and to date have become an integral part of our society . In the second part of the 19th-century Indian labourers and civil servants were brought to East Africa to construct railways and support colonial administrations . They ended up as dukanwallahs and today are among the most successful and influential business people in the whole of East Africa . These relations were greatly revitalised by the friendship and brotherhood forged between the founding fathers of the two nations as well as by the shared ideals and stances against colonialism , oppression and segregation , non- alignment and the desire to establish a forum for South-South Cooperation built a strong foundation that has endured until today .
In recent years , Tanzania-India relations have taken a more pragmatic approach . Bilateral trade has grown significantly and the balance of trade has narrowed . India is one among the top 5 investment sources in Tanzania accounting for a 2.2-billion-dollar portfolio in the areas of Banking , Mining , Insurance , Telecommunication , Manufacturing and Assembly of Vehicles and the Service industry . India also accounts for 18 percent of Tanzania ’ s Foreign Trade . On the other hand , Tanzanian exports to India have also hiked from 480.10 Million USD in 2012 to 977.55 Million USD in 2017 and Tanzanian businesses have begun to venture out into India in search for investment opportunities and partnerships .
India has also remained a staunch ally of Tanzania ’ s development endeavours . Many Tanzanians have received multidisciplinary training in India and access to quality courses and educational opportunities through the ITEC programmes . India has also extended assistance and Lines of Credit ( LoCs ) to several high impact development projects in Tanzanian notably in the field of Water supply and distribution . The many completed and ongoing water projects which are supported through these LoCs have had unique development impact and , indeed improved the lives of many Tanzanians .
It is fortuitous and fitting that as we celebrate 54 years of our Union , we also commemorate 57 years of friendship , camaraderie , and support from the Republic of India . We look forward to deepening these relations , in seeing more investment from India in Tanzania , as much as we call on Tanzanians to venture into and access the many opportunities that are available to learn from and partner with India in the fields of Information Technology , Agro-economy , Business , Industry , Pharmaceuticals , Food Processing , Gemstone lapidary , Construction and Financial Services and Industries . The visit of Rt . Honourable Narendra Modi to Tanzania has strengthened India-Tanzania relations and has opened new areas of cooperation such as through the Solar Alliance in developing energy and the potential opportunities offered by the Blue economy in and around the Indian Ocean .
India is also a valued partner and ally in many international fora on issues of shared concern and mutual interests such as trade , climate change and international peace and security . We support India as deserving a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council .
I thank you , Asanteni , Jai Hind !
Hon . Amb . Dr . Augustine P . Mahiga ( MP ) Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation
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