Tanzania, Turkey sign partnership agreements, pledge closer economic ties

Tanzania and Turkey on Monday agreed to boost economic ties shortly after they had signed partnership agreements in education research, health, transport, defence and security.

The signing of the agreements was witnessed by Tanzanian President John Magufuli and visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

The agreements will see cooperation between the two countries' airlines, broadcasters, and in health, development, tourism and industrialization.

Other areas of cooperation included defence and security where Tanzanian security personnel will have a chance to receive training in Turkey.

Magufuli said trade between Tanzania and Turkey stood at 190 million U.S. dollars by last year, adding that that there was need for the two countries to enhance cooperation.

The Tanzanian president asked Erdogan to support Tanzania with a loan through Exim Bank of Turkey to help in finalizing the construction of a section of the Standard Gauge Railway project.

Magufuli said the tender for the railway project was still under way, adding that one of the companies competing in the tender was from Turkey.

The Turkish president said his country saw a great potential of cooperation in Tanzania in various areas.

"When we join hands we can achieve more than this because the current trade figures does not reflect the real potentials that our countries have. We can be able to reach at least 500 million U.S. dollars a year if we can cooperate fully," he said.

Erdogan is also scheduled to visit Mozambique and Madagascar in his African tour. Endit