ST PETERSBURG: Tanzania and Russia are seeking to usher in a new phase of economic cooperation, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan calling on Russian investors to expand investments in key sectors including mining, energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and transport infrastructure.
Addressing the Tanzania-Russia Business and Investment Forum held on the sidelines of the 29th St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), President Samia said the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries should now translate into stronger trade and investment flows.
“Move from rhetoric to action. Talking alone will not bear fruits,” she told business leaders and government officials gathered at the forum.
The Tanzanian leader said the meeting was intended to create practical partnerships capable of delivering measurable economic benefits rather than serving as a platform for formal speeches alone.
Despite more than 60 years of bilateral relations, trade between the two countries remains limited. President Samia noted that Russia accounted for less than 1% of Tanzania’s total trade volume in 2024, a level she described as far below the potential of the relationship.
“This is not where we should be,” she said, adding that both countries must address the gap between existing opportunities and actual economic performance.
Presenting Tanzania as a gateway to African markets, President Samia highlighted the country’s strategic location, population of more than 61 million people and access to a regional market exceeding 500 million consumers across Eastern and Southern Africa.
She said major infrastructure investments, including the expansion of the Port of Dar es Salaam and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), are strengthening Tanzania’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub linking African markets with global economies.
Mining emerged as one of the central pillars of future cooperation. President Samia said Tanzania possesses significant reserves of gold, uranium, graphite, nickel and other critical minerals increasingly needed for clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing industries.
She invited Russian companies to invest in geological surveys, mineral exploration and value-addition industries such as smelters and refineries, as Tanzania seeks to reduce reliance on raw mineral exports and expand domestic industrial processing capacity.
In the energy sector, President Samia said Tanzania remains committed to developing a diversified and lower-carbon energy mix, including discussions on long-term cooperation in small modular nuclear reactor technology. She also encouraged Russian participation in oil and gas exploration projects.
The President further highlighted opportunities in fertiliser production, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and vaccine manufacturing, saying Tanzania aims to locally produce at least 60% of its healthcare product needs by 2030.
She also pointed to investment prospects in the Bagamoyo Port and Special Economic Zone as well as the proposed Mangapwani transshipment port project in Zanzibar, initiatives expected to reinforce Tanzania’s position within regional and international supply chains.
Tanzania, Russia move to deepen cooperation in mineral research
In a move aimed at improving connectivity between the two countries, President Samia announced that Air Tanzania will begin direct flights linking Dar es Salaam, Moscow and Zanzibar from July 2. The route is expected to support tourism, trade and business travel between Russia and East Africa.
Russia’s Minister for Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, said several bilateral projects were already progressing, including a uranium development project in Tanzania that has moved beyond pilot operations towards the next production phase.
He also revealed plans to establish a rapid disease-testing manufacturing facility in Tanzania capable of producing up to 20 million test kits annually, alongside expanded cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, tourism and logistics.
According to Reshetnikov, agricultural cooperation could grow further through increased exports of grain, fertilisers and veterinary vaccines, while Russian research institutions are prepared to support Tanzania through technology transfer and joint agricultural research programmes.
He added that transport and logistics links between the two countries are also improving following the recent launch of a container shipping route connecting the Russian port city of Novorossiysk with Dar es Salaam.
Tourism has also emerged as a fast-growing area of cooperation, with visits by Russian tourists to Tanzania increasing by nearly 40% last year, according to Russian officials.
Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, said the focus has now shifted from signing agreements to ensuring implementation and generating concrete economic outcomes.
Kombo said Tanzania is seeking wider access to the Russian consumer market after visiting one of Russia’s largest supermarket chains, which already stocks Tanzanian products including coffee, tea, tobacco and cashew nuts.
The retailer reportedly operates around 35,000 outlets across Russia, presenting significant export opportunities for Tanzanian producers seeking to diversify international markets amid changing global trade patterns.
“This is a unique opportunity that not many African countries get,” Kombo said, urging Tanzania’s private sector to position itself strategically to benefit from the expanding partnership.
The forum reflected Tanzania’s broader efforts to diversify international investment partnerships and strengthen economic ties beyond traditional markets as African economies increasingly reposition themselves within evolving global supply chains and geopolitical shifts.
