President Kagame is in Tanzania for a one-day working visit, where he held talks with President Suluhu before addressing a joint press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Welcoming the Rwandan leader, President Samia described Tanzania and Rwanda as long-standing partners and historic friends whose relations are anchored in shared culture, close people-to-people ties, and decades of cooperation dating back to pre-colonial times.
“Tanzania and Rwanda are not only neighbours, but also brothers and friends. Our brotherhood and friendship is historic and rooted in shared history and values,” President Samia said.
She noted that the two countries continue to work closely at bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels, including within the East African Community (EAC), the African Union (AU), the Non-Aligned Movement, and the United Nations.
The leaders highlighted the role of the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPC), established in 1976, which remains the main framework guiding collaboration across sectors such as trade, investment, agriculture, energy, petroleum, transport infrastructure, defence, security, and immigration. The 16th session of the commission was held in Kigali last July.
Trade and investment featured prominently in the discussions, with President Samia noting that bilateral trade reached 644 billion Tanzanian shillings last year (approximately Rwf 360 billion).
“We are encouraged by the steady growth in trade between our two countries, which reflects the strength of our partnership,” she said.
She also pointed to growing investment flows, including 42 projects from Rwanda worth 325.5 million US dollars registered since March, which have created more than 2,200 jobs in Tanzania.
She further highlighted Tanzanian investments in Rwanda, including companies such as Bakhresa, Magodoro Dodoma, Discount Centre, Jambo Plastics, Sagar Enterprises, Buffalo Travel & Tours, Maxcom Africa, Gasabo Grain Milling Company, LCM Delta Company, and Matrix Integrated Consultancy, underscoring expanding private sector participation in both economies.
A central focus of the talks was transport and logistics, particularly the role of Tanzanian ports in facilitating regional trade. President Samia noted that about 70 percent of Rwanda’s cargo passes through Tanzanian ports, amounting to approximately 1.6 million tonnes annually.
“It is our responsibility, as we are the ones with ports in this region, to ensure efficient and reliable services to our neighbours who are land-linked,” she said.
The two leaders agreed to strengthen port operations through special logistics arrangements to improve the efficiency of cargo handling for Rwanda. They also reaffirmed commitment to advancing road and rail connectivity, with particular attention to the Isaka–Kigali railway project, which is expected to significantly improve the speed and cost of transporting goods between the two countries.
Energy cooperation was another key area of discussion, with both leaders reaffirming commitment to the Rusumo Hydropower Project, a regional initiative involving Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi that generates 80 megawatts of electricity.
“We are committed to ensuring that regional energy projects like Rusumo deliver shared benefits to our people,” President Samia said.
They also agreed to strengthen electricity trade between TANESCO and the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) to support industrial growth and regional energy integration.
President Kagame welcomed the progress in bilateral cooperation, noting that Tanzania remains a key partner for Rwanda in trade and logistics.
“Tanzania has been a key partner for Rwanda. Over the years, we have strengthened our cooperation across many sectors, particularly trade and logistics, which has helped connect Rwanda to global markets,” he said.
He emphasized the need to further improve systems that can efficiently manage growing trade volumes and ensure full implementation of joint development projects.
“Our discussions focused on how to build further on this foundation and ensure our systems are well equipped to handle the growing volume of business between our two countries,” he added.
In the communications sector, the leaders discussed expanding telecommunications infrastructure, including enhanced use of Tanzania’s fibre optic network in Rwanda to improve digital connectivity and service delivery.
Beyond economic cooperation, President Samia and President Kagame also exchanged views on peace, security, and regional stability, reaffirming their commitment to continued collaboration within international frameworks.
Additionally, President Kagame noted that Rwanda, currently in the commemoration period of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, would soon recognise Tanzanian citizens who demonstrated exceptional courage and humanity during the time.
Leave a Reply