Pakistan pledges to strengthen trade, innovation ties with Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM: PAKISTAN has expressed its commitment to strengthening relations with Tanzania by reinforcing existing cooperation and exploring new opportunities in trade and innovation for the mutual benefit of both nations.

The development comes amid a steady increase in bilateral trade, which currently stands at approximately 301 million US dollars (about 786.4bn/- ).

Both countries are now aiming to raise this figure to over 400 million US dollars (about 1tri/-) in the near future, driven by strong diplomatic ties and collaboration across sectors such as textiles, steel, agriculture, mining and pharmaceuticals.

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Speaking during celebrations to mark Pakistan’s 79th Independence Anniversary held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Siraj Ahmad Khan, said that Islamabad is keen to deepen cooperation and venture into emerging areas of mutual interest.

“Last year, we began exporting mobile phones. A Pakistani company, DIGIT, entered into an agreement with Vodacom. This is one of the many areas where we see great potential to expand our cooperation,” said Mr Khan.

The High Commissioner said that Pakistan and Tanzania are already working together in various areas, including trade, investment, education, capacity building, defence and regional security.

“Both countries are now moving to further strengthen collaboration in pharmaceuticals and other high-potential sectors, such as agriculture,” he added.

Mr Khan noted that Tanzania supplies raw cotton and other agricultural produce, while Pakistan brings technical expertise in textiles, food processing and animal husbandry.

“We are ready to share this knowledge for mutual benefit,” he said, pointing out that transitioning from raw commodity exports, such as cotton and cashew nuts, towards value-added processing could significantly boost trade volumes and generate local employment.