Tanzania can count on Romania to promote and develop relations with the EU (president Iohannis)

Tanzania can count on Romania to promote and develop relations with the European Union, president Klaus Iohannis said on Friday in a joint press statement with the president of the republic, Samia Suluhu Hassan.

According to the head of state, who is visiting Tanzania, the country is "a valuable partner in Romania's strategic approaches to its African partners".

The Romanian president said that in his dialogue with president Samia Suluhu Hassan he noted that there was "a solid basis for expanding bilateral relations". 

Klaus Iohannis said that two memoranda were signed on stepping up cooperation in disaster risk management and humanitarian assistance as well as in the fields of agriculture and the environment. 

The president said that the objective of his visit is to "intensify political and diplomatic dialogue and open up new prospects for cooperation", in the context of Romania's recently adopted National Strategy for Africa.

"We agreed to develop cooperation in areas that are crucial for both Romania and Tanzania, such as education, civil protection, agriculture, forestry, IT and cyber security," Iohannis said.

The president noted that there are Romanian entrepreneurs active in Tanzania, especially in the field of tourism. "I am convinced that we will continue to work together to encourage the Tanzanian and Romanian business community to start other joint projects," he added.

Klaus Iohannis presented Romania's regional and international security assessments to his counterpart.

"As a direct neighbour of Ukraine and a state bordering the Black Sea, I presented to Madame President Romania's assessment of the security situation in our region and of the developments in Russia's war against Ukraine. We also had a concrete discussion on how we can manage the multiple consequences of the war, including from the perspective of ensuring food security for African states. I presented the extensive political-diplomatic, logistical and administrative measures taken by Romania to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine, including to African countries," the president said.

The situation in the Middle East was also discussed, with president Iohannis stressing the need for "violence not to spread, civilians to be protected, humanitarian aid to have access to the area and international law to be respected".

"Romania is convinced that only the two-state solution can ensure long-term peace and stability in the region," president Iohannis reiterated, recalling that Romania has decided to transfer more than 230 tonnes of humanitarian aid worth almost two million euros to the civilian population in Gaza. By Mihai Cistelican, SStiripesurse