TZ-Ethiopia relations set for more benefits

TANZANIA’s embassy in Ethiopia has set bold strategies that would enable it to continue benefiting from various opportunities available in the African Union and the allied institutions.

The strategies will complement successes that were attained in the year 2022, as well as exploring more opportunities to be explored in the New Year 2023.

This was unveiled by the Tanzania Ambassador to Ethiopia, Innocent Shio, who is also the permanent representative to the African Union (AU), in a summary of achievements that the country has benefited from its Addis Ababa Mission.

The embassy of Tanzania to Ethiopia also serves the role of representing Tanzania in the African Union and in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

“We shall continue looking for opportunities in various sectors such as business investments, industries, agriculture, education, transport (marine and air transport) tourism,” he said.

The diplomat noted further that the embassy will also step further in looking for markets of goods and services available in Tanzania.

To ensure effective realisation of the strategies, the envoy said the embassy will organise business and investment forums between Tanzania and Ethiopia for the sake of stimulating further interaction as well as establishing the Joint Permanent Commission for the two countries.

Speaking on the achievements recorded last year, Mr Shio said Tanzania through its embassy in Ethiopia managed to strengthen its multilateral ties in all sectors of cooperation.

“There have been great achievements in all sectors be it political, social, and economic aspect. These were attributed to official visits held by leaders of the two countries,” he said.

In February this year, Vice-President Dr Phillip Mpango made a working visit to Ethiopia, while the Ethiopian President Sahle Work-Zewde visited Tanzania to attend the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Women and Youth held in September last year.

She also attended the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) held in Zanzibar earlier in December, 2022.

Last year also saw the penetration and growth of Kiswahili programmes in Ethiopia following establishment of the language segment in the Afro News TV channel.

“The TV station airs Swahili programmes on a daily basis covering deep analysis of news and events, food, hard talks and right now, the station is in talks with TBC on how best the two broadcasters can deepen the cooperation,” he pointed out.

Moreover in 2022, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) entered into an agreement with Addis Ababa University on teaching the Kiswahili language in Ethiopia.

The agreement will also enable the University of Dar es Salaam to provide experts who will teach the language in Ethiopia.

In a related development, some seven Tanzanians were awarded with opportunity to study at the Ethiopia Aviation Academy.

Equally, the government of Ethiopia provided five posts for military training among which three are fully paid by the Addis government and the remaining two are being funded by the government of Tanzania.

In February last year, Tanzania was elected a member of the Peace and Security Council – PSC for a period between 2022 and 2024 as well as being chosen as the first vice chair in the committee AU ministers for constitution and Legal affairs.

“Tanzania also managed to convince other countries to adopt the use of Kiswahili as among official languages in the African Union,” said the diplomat.

Adding; “The country also supported the move to establish the AfCTA that paves the way for expansion of the market of goods and services to over 1.3 billion people in Africa”.

This made President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan to emerge as the Champion on Women and Youth in Trade under AfCFTA.

Tanzania also became among the African countries that will benefit from 2.6million US Dollars to be used in production of geothermal power under the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility.

The project that will be implemented this year will cover various areas such as Ngozi, Natron Kiejo-Mbaka, Songwe and Luhoi.

Moreover, in 2022, three Tanzanians secured plum job positions at the African Union, one of them became the Director.

Also, Tanzania hosted some activities of AU such as the AfCFTA for Youth and Women, law week, the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) as well as the forum Permanent ambassadors from all African Union (AU) countries to discuss the successes and challenges facing the African continent.