AfricaPress-Tanzania: President John Magufuli has said that his government will continue laying great emphasis on economic diplomacy as it implements its foreign policy.
Delivering his inaugural speech in the National Assembly in Dodoma on Friday, President Magufuli said as he started his second term of presidency his government would continue upholding and strengthening friendly relations with regional economic groupings and the international community.
He maintained that Tanzania would also strengthen friendship and good neighbourliness with other countries.
“We will fully take part in integrations, regionally, continentally and internationally particularly in the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (AU),” said Dr Magufuli.
While making the commitment, the President expressed how delighted he was to see the presence of the country’s representative in the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).
In line with maintaining friendship and upholding economic diplomacy, he noted that his government would continue taking part in peacekeeping missions across the world.
He also underscored the commitment of safeguarding and cherishing democracy and upholding human rights and free speech.
As an old adage goes ‘Every right comes with responsibilities’, the Head of State used the opportunity to remind Tanzanians the role of democracy as an important factor in boosting development with the civic duty to refrain from inciting chaos and disrupting the country’s stability.
“There is no democracy that has no boundaries,” asserted Dr Magufuli.
On Thursday last week, after being sworn in as President of the United Republic of Tanzania for the next five years Dr Magufuli also reiterated the country’s commitment to continuing strengthening international relations for the future prosperity of economic and diplomatic links.
At a colourful event held at Jamhuri Stadium in Dodoma, attracting leaders from different countries, international organisations, members of the diplomatic corps and ambassadors representing foreign missions in Tanzania, Dr Magufuli noted that Tanzania would continue cherishing cooperation with different parts of the world.
“We appreciate and acknowledge the attendance of different Heads of State, delegates from different countries and ambassadors to this event. We will continue working together with them for the future prosperity,” President Magufuli insisted.
The leaders who attended the swearing-in event included Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Comorian President Azali Assoumani, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and over 20 other delegates from different countries.
In the past five years, Tanzania has paid attention to strengthening friendly relations with other countries and international organisations.
It hosted a number of foreign leaders who came for work and official visits. Some of them were from Vietnam, India, Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank (WB), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
During the same period, Tanzania opened new embassies in eight countries: Algeria, Cuba, Israel, South Korea, Qatar, Namibia, Sudan and Turkey and two countries – Ethiopia and Poland – opened theirs in the country.
Tanzania has also participated in peacekeeping missions by deploying 2,303 soldiers to the DRC, the Republic of Central Africa, Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan.
The current foreign affairs policy is based on economic diplomacy where President Magufuli has been encouraging Tanzanian ambassadors and all foreign missions working in the country to attract more traders to come and invest in the country where they will benefit from vast raw materials, reliable markets and a better investment environment.
During his first five-year tenure of office, President Magufuli also served as Chairman of the East African Community (EAC) in 2016 and of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from August 2019 to August 2020.
