AfricaPress-Tanzania: FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has showered praises on President John Magufuli for guiding the country to middleincome status– a feat attained five years ahead of schedule.
French ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Frederic Clavier presented the letter of congratulation on behalf of President Macron to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba John Kabudi, on behalf of President Magufuli.
“More than 56 years after the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, Tanzania achievements are many. Achieving the status of a middle-income country under your leadership in the first term represents a real success. France will continue to support you on this development path,” President Macron said in his letter.
“I congratulate you for the historic achievement. I know you were envisaged to achieve this historic status by 2025 but, with your strong determination this has been possible in 2020,” President Macron’s letter read in part.
President Macron expressed hopes that Tanzania under the leadership of President Magufuli would succeed during the second term in achieving the objectives of the Father of Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, such as creating an economy centered on human development but also consolidating democratic principles, including a multi-party system.
“It is my hope that the new five-year term would be an opportunity to strengthen FrancoTanzanian friendship and to develop a relationship of trust in all areas of mutual interest particularly in politics and economy. France will be alongside Tanzania and its people to support them in their development efforts. I hope that the next few years will be fruitful in establishing a close dialogue between our two countries,” Mr Macron said in his letter.
In early July, 2020 Tanzania government entered the bracket of middle-income countries with a GNI per capita between 1,036 US dollars to 4,045 US dollars as per World Bank 2019 classification.
Moreover, Tanzania last year recorded economic growth of 7 per cent, making it one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.
Tanzania which is the second largest economy in East Africa and among the top ten in Africa joins Kenya as the second East Africa Community member state in the middle-income strata. France and Tanzania have a strong relationship that dates back from the independence of Tanganyika in 1961, and even before a French consul was set in Zanzibar in 1844.
Since then the two countries have always maintained an excellent and trustful relationship.
