Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday launched a robust diplomatic engagement at the 13th World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai, holding two high-level bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s strategic partnerships and advancing economic diplomacy.
The discussions focused on expanding international cooperation in line with Tanzania’s development priorities, particularly under the national Vision 2050 agenda.
In her first meeting, President Samia held talks with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, where the two leaders explored avenues for deepening cooperation between Africa and the Caribbean within the Commonwealth framework.
Their dialogue centred on revitalising historical ties between the regions and promoting structured economic, political and people-topeople partnerships. Both leaders emphasised the importance of reconnecting what they described as the “motherland and the homeland” through modern cooperation mechanisms.
Prime Minister Browne commended Tanzania’s leadership and transparency in handling recent post-election security challenges, praising the establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry as a sign of commitment to accountability and constitutional order.
President Samia briefed her counterpart on ongoing governance reforms, including plans for a National Reconciliation Commission and forthcoming constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions.
The two leaders agreed to prioritise cooperation in several key areas, including Africa–Caribbean integration, trade and investment, tourism promotion, aviation connectivity, security collaboration, technology transfer, education and human capital development.
Special emphasis was placed on supporting the Julius Nyerere Commonwealth Scholarship Programme as well as expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges. To ensure implementation, both sides resolved to establish joint technical teams to operationalise the agreed areas of cooperation.
Prime Minister Browne extended a formal invitation to President Samia to attend the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and announced plans to visit Tanzania in mid-2026.
The engagement underscored Tanzania’s growing role in South–South cooperation and its strategic ambition to serve as a bridge between Africa and the Caribbean.
In a second high-profile meeting, President Samia met the newly appointed Secretary-General of UN Tourism, Ms Shaikha Al Nuwais, congratulating her on becoming the first woman to head the global tourism body.
The talks focused on transforming Tanzania’s tourism sector through sustainability, innovation and digital transformation.
Key priority areas identified included promotion of eco-tourism, expansion of community-based tourism models in Zanzibar and Mafia Island, digital marketing and branding, as well as diversification into sports, cultural and gastronomy tourism.
The leaders also discussed Tanzania’s preparations for hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the potential for sports tourism to boost visitor numbers.
Ms Al Nuwais praised Tanzania as a leading global tourism destination and described President Samia as a powerful international brand for the country, citing the global impact of *The Royal Tour* documentary.
She affirmed UN Tourism’s commitment to support Tanzania’s ambitious target of increasing tourist arrivals to eight million and raising tourism’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product from 17 to 24 per cent.
The Secretary-General accepted an official invitation to visit Tanzania to further advance these initiatives, including the possibility of establishing a UN Tourism Regional Office in the country.
President Samia said the engagements reflected Tanzania’s results-oriented economic diplomacy, aimed at diversifying partnerships across Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and multilateral institutions.
She reiterated that Tanzania remains committed to peace, transparency and constructive international cooperation, adding that the country’s participation at WGS 2026 demonstrates its determination to strengthen global partnerships for national development.
