On 10 March 2023, in Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Tanzania held their political consultations. The Head of the Bilateral Relations Directorate at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nils Jansons, and the Director of Europe and America’s Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania, Swahiba Mndeme, discussed cooperation between the two countries, focusing on potential cooperation in the field of ICT and digitalisation both through promotion of business contacts and sharing of experience. The potential for cooperation in the areas such as higher education, food processing and agriculture was also discussed.
As Latvia’s relations with Tanzania are being built within a broader EU-Tanzanian framework, the EU-Tanzania Business Forum held on 23-24 February was noted as a potential platform also for businesses from Latvia who are interested launching cooperation with Tanzania.
The representative of Latvia drew attention to the disruptive impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine on the international order. To prevent the impunity of aggression, a concerted action is needed in international organisations.
The diplomats also exchanged views on climate change and other global challenges that Latvia and Tanzania could jointly address working in various formats of international organisation.
The officials agreed to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a mechanism for political consultations in order to maintain a regular dialogue in the future.
As part of the visit, the members of the Latvian delegation also met with the Head of the European Union Delegation to Tanzania and the East African Community, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, the Resident Director of Friedrich Ebert Foundation (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung) in Tanzania, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania.