India and Tanzania convened the 3rd Foreign Office Consultations in Dar es Salaam to review and strengthen their wide-ranging bilateral cooperation.

The meeting took place on Wednesday and was formally acknowledged by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday.

The consultations were led by Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Felister Rugambwa, Director of the Asia and Australasia Department in Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

On the sidelines of the talks, Janesh Kain also met Ambassador Samwel William Shelukindo, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, further reinforcing the institutional dialogue.

Both delegations reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral ties. The discussions focused on trade and investment, development partnerships, defence and security cooperation, digital public infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

To sustain momentum in priority sectors, both sides agreed to organise upcoming meetings of the Joint Commission Meeting and the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee at mutually convenient dates.

Beyond bilateral cooperation, officials exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. They expressed satisfaction with their close coordination at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the next round of Foreign Office Consultations will be held in India, ensuring continuity in the dialogue process.

The consultations followed closely after the visit of President Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, who travelled to India from 17 to 20 July at the invitation of Vice President CP Radhakrishnan. He was accompanied by First Lady Mariyam Mwinyi.

During his visit, President Mwinyi and Vice President Radhakrishnan reviewed the full spectrum of India-Tanzania relations. They explored new avenues of cooperation in the blue economy, tourism, technology, health, and education.

The Ministry of External Affairs noted that both leaders positively assessed the recent expansion in bilateral trade, investment linkages, and development partnerships.

President Mwinyi extended an invitation to Vice President Radhakrishnan to pay an official visit to Tanzania, which was graciously accepted.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met President Mwinyi during his stay in New Delhi. Their discussions centred on the wide-ranging development partnership between the two countries.

A key highlight was the development of IIT-Madras Zanzibar as a Centre of Excellence of Higher Education in Africa, which has become a flagship project symbolising India’s commitment to capacity building and educational outreach across the continent.

This sequence of engagements underscores the growing depth of India-Tanzania relations, spanning trade, defence, digital infrastructure, healthcare, and education, while also reinforcing shared priorities in regional and global forums.

ANI