TANZANIA: Vice President Dr. Philip Mpango is expected to travel to Lusaka, Zambia to represent President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Tripartite Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Information released by the Government Communication Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation on Wednesday stated that the Vice President will leave the country on March 22.
Among other topics, the statement added, the meeting will focus on security issues in SADC countries, particularly in Cabo Delgado State in Mozambique and the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the statement, the meeting was preceded by preparation meetings at the expert level that started on the 17th and will conclude with Ministers and Permanent Secretaries on March 22, 2024.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Makamba, is expected to join his fellow ministers from other countries at the crucial meeting.

Furthermore, the statement noted that Tanzania has been fully participating in all levels of the meeting for the welfare of the bloc.
“Tanzania, as a member of SADC and as one of the countries contributing to the peacekeeping forces in Mozambique and DRC, participates fully in all levels of the Conference,” part of the statement reads.
On June 12, 2011, the Heads of State and Government of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met and signed a declaration launching negotiations for the establishment of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Free Trade Area (FTA).
The main objective of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite is strengthening and deepening economic integration of the southern and eastern Africa region, which is to be achieved through harmonization of policies and programs across the three Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the areas of trade, customs, and infrastructure development.