Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA and the European Union (EU) have strengthened their strategic partnership with a renewed focus on practical cooperation in regional peace and security, rules-based trade, investment facilitation and predictable partnership frameworks that support effective implementation and delivery.
The renewed engagement follows high-level talks in Brussels over the weekend between a Tanzanian delegation and senior EU leaders.
Led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Kombo, the delegation used the engagements to present Tanzania’s perspectives within the EU’s decision-making structures, reinforcing the country’s standing as a reliable and constructive partner on peace, security and regional stability in East Africa.
Minister Kombo held official talks with key EU leaders, including Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Ms Kaja Kallas, the Political and Security Committee (PSC), Vice-President of the European Parliament Mr Younous Omarjee and EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Mr Jozef Síkela.
The PSC is the EU’s principal ambassador-level forum responsible for coordinating foreign, security and defence policy.
The committee comprises ambassadors from all 27 EU member states and plays a central role in shaping the Union’s external relations.
The Brussels engagements are fully aligned with the foreign policy vision articulated by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which emphasises pragmatism, respect for national sovereignty and continuous engagement with all partners.
This approach reaffirms Tanzania’s strong commitment to multilateralism and constructive cooperation aimed at promoting shared prosperity, peace and sustainable development.
At the heart of Tanzania’s policy direction is a message of mutual respect and partnership based on equality and shared benefit. The country continues to pursue win-win cooperation models that advance national development priorities while delivering value to international partners.
The engagements also align with the EU’s cooperation priorities with Tanzania, which focus on green development, human capital and employment and good governance.
These areas are expected to strengthen structured programmes, implementation support and investment mobilisation.
Minister Kombo was accompanied by a ministerial delegation that included Minister of State in the President’s Office, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi.
On the parliamentary front, the delegation held discussions at the European Parliament, including talks with Vice-President Younous Omarjee.
These meetings strengthened parliamentary diplomacy as an important pillar of Tanzania–EU relations, particularly in trade, governance and people-to-people cooperation.
Development cooperation and investment promotion featured prominently in talks with Commissioner Jozef Síkela.
Tanzania emphasised its priority for high-impact partnerships that support employment, skills development, value addition and resilient infrastructure in line with the government’s national transformation agenda.
As part of strategic communication and public diplomacy, Minister Kombo granted an interview with Diplomatic World at Tanzania’s Embassy in Brussels.
He highlighted that the engagements were designed to deepen trust, widen cooperation channels and strengthen Tanzania’s profile as a stable and credible partner for trade, investment and development.
Engagement with the European Union remains particularly important following Tanzania’s General Elections of October 29, 2025.
The EU is a key development, trade and political partner for Tanzania and an important stakeholder in multilateral cooperation.
Minister Kombo assured EU counterparts that Tanzania remains committed to transparency and institutional strengthening, including through the Independent Commission of Inquiry established to examine the root causes of post-election violence.
He stressed that sustained dialogue with the EU helps ensure national processes are well understood while safeguarding continuity in development cooperation, investment flows and economic confidence.
“Brussels matters to Tanzania because it is a central hub for European Union policy coordination, financing decisions and international partnerships,” Ambassador Kombo explained.
The high-level engagements underscore Tanzania’s proactive, results-oriented foreign policy that prioritises national interests and effective international cooperation.
