AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Fifth Phase Government has strengthened Tanzania’s position in the international diplomatic arena by opening eight new embassies over the past five years.
The government has also received several heads of state and international institutions following the strengthened relations and cooperation between Tanzania and other nations.
President John Magufuli said on Tuesday as he dissolved the 11th Parliament in Dodoma that the new embassies have been opened in Algeria, Cuba, Israel, Korea, Qatar, Namibia, Sudan and Turkey.
He noted, however, that Poland and Ethiopia have also opened embassies in Tanzania.
Speaking recently at the swearing in of three newly appointed diplomats and other government officials at Chamwino State House in Dodoma, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, said that since Dr Magufuli assumed office, he has appointed a total of 17 ambassadors, four of whom are working in the country.
The diplomats who were sworn in were Commissioner Faustine Kasike who is currently representing Tanzania in Mozambique, John Simbachawene (Kenya) and Major General Jacob Kingu (Algeria).
Dr Magufuli said leaders who visited Tanzania during his leadership tenure so far are from Vietnam, India, Turkey, South Africa, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) African Development (AfB), and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Dr Magufuli further said that, Tanzania has also continued to participate in various international activities and plans, including peace keeping missions whereby it has deployed 2,303 soldiers to DR Congo, Middle East, Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan.
He further said that during his administration, Tanzania has been entrusted to lead two regional blocs-East African Community (EAC), from 2016 to 2017 and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), from August 2019 to August 2020.
“One of the benefits attained in leading these regional blocs is to convince member states to approve Kiswahili as an official language of the two institutions,” Dr Magufuli said.
SADC declared Kiswahili its fourth official language after English, French and Portuguese during the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State held in Tanzania in August last year .
Outgoing Chairman of the regional bloc and Namibian President, Dr Hage Geingob, made the announcement to that effect before he handed over the Chairmanship to Tanzanian President John Magufuli.
The last time that Tanzania hosted a SADC Summit was in 2003, and the country is determined to once again take leadership in advancing regional integration when it assumes the chair of SADC in August.
