FOUR new ambassadors took oath yesterday as Tanzania envoys in Africans countries, amid President John Magufuli’s call to focus on economic diplomacy.
The sworn-in envoys are; former Director General of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), Dr Modestus Kipilimba, who has been posted to Namibia and former senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Benson Bana (Nigeria).
Former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Maj Gen (Rtd) Gaudence Milanzi will be based in Pretoria, South Africa whilst Prof Emmanuel Mbennah has been posted to Harare, Zimbabwe.
The quartet joins a host of other Tanzanian envoys abroad.
They are the key agents for maintaining good relations and facilitating further mutually beneficial relationship between Tanzania and other nations.
Administering the oath, President Magufuli understandably directed the new envoys to rigorously embark on economic diplomacy by exploring new areas of development cooperation in countries where they have been posted to.
Use of diplomacy to achieve mutual interests started since ancient times but today diplomatic missions have become even of more importance in trade negotiation, partnership in economic development, cultural exchange, environment and other issues.
Economic diplomacy not only promotes the state’s prosperity but also, as occasion demands and opportunity permits, manipulates its foreign commercial and financial relations in support of its foreign policy.
The countries to which the envoys have been assigned to have huge potential for the economic development of our country and as President Magufuli stated, our envoys should exploit those opportunities.
Yes, we are expecting an industrious performance from the new batch of diplomats not only in promoting our country abroad, but also in attracting foreign business, investments, technology and tourists.
