Tanzania affirms its strong ties with EU despite recent vote on its development cooperation

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzanian government’s Chief Spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, has reaffirmed the country’s relation with the European Union (EU) noting that it remains strong and continues to grow across key areas of mutual interest, despite a recent vote by committees of the European Parliament on the 2025 Development Cooperation Programme.

Mr Msigwa made the statement following the outcome of the vote, which passed with 81 votes in favour, one against and four abstentions at committee level noting that it is part of internal procedures of the European Parliament and does not represent the final position of the institution.

Elaborating, he said that the process is still ongoing and that the adopted recommendations will proceed to the full European Parliament, which comprises more than 700 Members of Parliament, for further debate and a final decision.

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“The vote is part of the internal procedures of the European Parliament and does not represent the final position of the institution regarding its cooperation with Tanzania,” he said.

He added that relations between Tanzania and the EU continue to be guided by long-standing frameworks of dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect, with both sides benefiting from development partnerships in various sectors.

Msigwa emphasized that the government will continue to strengthen cooperation with the European Union for the benefit of citizens on both sides, stressing that the committee-stage outcome should not be interpreted as a final decision on the future of relations between Tanzania and the EU.