NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is on a four-day visit to India, will be conferred an honorary doctorate by Jawaharlal Nehru University today, according to the Education Ministry.
President Hassan arrived here on Sunday on a four-day visit.
Tanzania is among countries that have benefited the most from India’s recent focus on Africa, where New Delhi has opened about 15 new missions. Hassan’s visit comes close on the heels of a pact for setting up the first overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Tanzania and the African Union’s entry into the G20 as a full member during the summit hosted by India last month.
“Today we are transforming our age-old friendship into a strategic partnership,” Modi said at a joint media interaction with Hassan, speaking in Hindi. The two countries identified new initiatives to expand cooperation in trade and investment, including a proposed agreement on increasing trade in local currencies, he said.
The two sides have also agreed on a five-year roadmap for defence cooperation that encompasses new areas such as military training, maritime cooperation, capacity building and defence industry.
India and Tanzania are unanimous that terrorism is the most serious security threat to humanity and have decided to increase cooperation in counter-terrorism.
Hassan described India as “an extended family member” and said her visit is aimed at reaffirming Tanzania’s commitment to deepen friendship and cooperation. Noting that India is Tanzania’s third largest trading partner, she expressed her country’s gratitude for India’s role in ensuring the African Union’s membership of the G20, debt relief initiatives for vulnerable nations and securing finances for development of clean energy in developing states.
The two sides signed six agreements, including a technical agreement between the Indian Navy and Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation on sharing white shipping information, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sharing digital public infrastructure, and a MoU between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Tanzania Investment Centre for setting up of an industrial park in Tanzania.
India is the largest destination for Tanzania’s exports and two-way trade was worth $6.4 billion in 2022-23, including Indian exports of $3.9 billion. India is the fifth largest investor in Tanzania with investments of $3.7 billion, and Indian companies have executed 630 projects and created 60,000 jobs.
“The first woman President of Tanzania will be honoured with an honorary doctorate (Honoris Causa) by Jawaharlal Nehru University for her pivotal role in fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations, promoting economic diplomacy, and achieving success in regional integration and multilateralism.
“She proudly acknowledges herself as a “product of Indian education”, attributing it to her ITEC training at NIRD, Hyderabad,” the Education Ministry posted on social media site X.
Hassan will be the first woman to receive the honorary award from the university. The event will be attended by Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar.
“Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is very proud to confer an honorary Doctorate to Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, on October 10, 2023. She is the first woman to receive this award,” the university said on X.
She received training under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD) in Hyderabad. ITEC is a capacity-building programme offered by the MEA under which officials and civilians receive training in the defence sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Tanzanian President Hassan, with a focus on boosting overall bilateral ties.
Before of the talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the Tanzanian president’s visit is an opportunity to take the long-standing ties between the two countries to “new levels”.
Earlier in the day, the visiting leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Hassan will also participate in a business and investment forum in Delhi on October 10. (PTI)
Tanzania also expressed interest in acquiring Indian defence equipment. “We have to see how we can take it forward because that requires detailing of the items and…the schedule of payments,” Ravi said.
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