DAR ES SALAAM: WHEN Tanganyika gained independence in 1961, it entered the international arena at a time when global politics were sharply divided.
Yet among the early partners that recognised and supported the young nation was the Soviet Union, laying a foundation for a relationship that has endured political transitions, economic shifts and changing global alignments.
More than six decades later, that historic bond between Tanzania and Russia is entering a new phase, one defined less by symbolism and more by measurable outcomes.
According to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Tanzania, Mr Andrey Avetisyan, the evolution of bilateral relations today is driven by “strengthened institutional architecture and renewed high-level political attention, complemented by growing economic engagement in agriculture, mining and technology.”
Taken together, he notes, these trends suggest that Russian–Tanzanian cooperation is moving “from aspirational rhetoric to a more outcome-driven phase aligned with Tanzania’s national development strategies and Russia’s evolving global stance”.
At the centre of this transformation is the Russia–Tanzania Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation, established in December 2022.
In a relatively short period, the Commission has already convened twice with first in Dar es Salaam in October 2024; later in St Petersburg in May 2025 and with a third session scheduled for Arusha in 2026.
What distinguishes the Commission is the breadth of its participation. Government officials, private sector representatives, scientists and university leaders from President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, receives a special message from both countries have been actively involved, ensuring that cooperation extends beyond diplomatic dialogue.
Its agenda has been deliberately aligned with Tanzania’s development priorities, covering agriculture, energy, logistics, minerals processing, tourism, healthcare and information technology.
“The Commission has become the main mechanism through which political intentions are converted into practical cooperation,” Ambassador Avetisyan observed, underscoring its role as a bridge between policy ambition and implementation.
One of the earliest visible outcomes of this renewed cooperation has emerged in the tourism sector.
Following an invitation from Tanzanian authorities, leading Russian tour operators participated in a familiarisation visit to the country. The initiative has already encouraged Russian companies to develop new travel packages, expanding interest beyond Zanzibar to mainland destinations.
Officials on both sides regard this diversification as an important step in deepening economic ties while also strengthening people-to-people contacts a dimension long recognised as vital to sustainable bilateral relations. More broadly, economic engagement remains a central pillar of the partnership, particularly in sectors where Russian expertise aligns with Tanzania’s industrialisation agenda.
Moscow has framed its proposals within Tanzania’s Vision 2025–2050 and the priorities outlined by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in her address to Parliament in November 2025.
The most significant Russian investment to date is Rosatom’s development of the Mkuju River uranium deposits in the Ruvuma Region.
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Beyond its potential contribution to Tanzania’s long-term energy security, the project is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs by 2030.
It is already accompanied by social development programmes supporting local schools, healthcare facilities and wildlife conservation. If successfully completed, Mkuju River could emerge as a cornerstone of Tanzania’s broader economic transformation.
Agriculture represents another area of growing potential. Speaking at the 2025 Joint Commission session in St Petersburg, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov highlighted Tanzania’s strategic position as a gateway to the East African market.
More than forty Russian companies have expressed interest in exporting agricultural products including dairy, meat, fish and fat-and-oil goods as well as supplying machinery and modern farming technologies.
For Tanzania, such cooperation offers opportunities to enhance food security and modernise agricultural production at a time of rapid population growth and persistent structural challenges. For Russia, it provides a pathway to diversify export destinations amid changing global trade patterns.
Defence and security cooperation also gained renewed visibility in 2025 with the visit of the Russian Navy training ship Smolny to Dar es Salaam.
The visit brought three hundred Russian naval cadets to Tanzania and included fifteen Tanzanian cadets, the first in the country’s history to participate in a longdistance Russian maritime training voyage. The event symbolically broadened the scope of bilateral cooperation and underscored Russia’s interest in defence education partnerships.
Political engagement at the highest level further reinforced the year’s momentum. On 6 November, Mr Sergey Kiriyenko, the First Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, delivered a personal message from President Vladimir Putin to President Samia in Dodoma.
The message congratulated her on assuming the presidency following the 2025 elections and reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to expand cooperation in economic, scientific, humanitarian and energy fields.
Mr Kiriyenko’s visit, his first to an African country since assuming responsibility for several Global South portfolios was widely seen as a signal of Moscow’s growing attention to Tanzania and its intention to sustain political dialogue.
Beyond bilateral ties, regional cooperation has also re-emerged as a priority. Negotiations have resumed on a Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the East African Community, aimed at creating a stable framework for future economic and technical collaboration.
At the same time, Tanzania’s engagement with BRICS is becoming increasingly prominent, particularly following Ethiopia’s admission into the expanded grouping.
While economics and politics dominate headlines, the humanitarian and cultural dimensions of Russia–Tanzania relations remain among their most durable foundations. Since 1990, the Russian Centre for Science and Culture widely known as the Russian House has operated in Dar es Salaam as a bridge between the two societies.
Initially focused on cultural promotion, the Centre has evolved into a vibrant hub hosting exhibitions, concerts, lectures and workshops, and even providing rehearsal space for local institutions such as the Choir of the Tanzania Philharmonic Society.
Its integration into Tanzania’s cultural landscape reflects a genuinely reciprocal exchange rather than one-sided outreach.
A particularly distinctive feature of the Centre’s work is its engagement with Kiswahili. Russian classics have been translated into the language and distributed to libraries nationwide, while Kiswahili-language programmes such as ‘Tuikumbukie Urusi’ are broadcast weekly on Tumaini Radio.
At the same time, interest in Kiswahili is growing within Russia itself, with leading universities incorporating it into their curricula and media outlets such as Sputnik Afrika launching Kiswahili platforms.
“These people-topeople connections,” Ambassador Avetisyan remarked, “often overlooked in geopolitical analysis, are becoming one of the most resilient pillars of our relationship.”
Academic and youth exchanges further illustrate the depth of this engagement. In 2025, Russia increased its annual scholarship quota for Tanzanian students from 90 to 150.
Representatives from 20 Russian universities toured Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar during education exhibitions, offering guidance on academic programmes and scholarships.
Initiatives such as ‘Russian Robotics Days’ exposed Tanzanian students to robotics, coding and artificial intelligence fields closely aligned with Tanzania’s digital transformation goals.
Meanwhile, exchange programmes continued in both directions, with Russian students undertaking Kiswahili immersion at the University of Dar es Salaam and Tanzanian youth participating in major Russian forums, including the 2024 World Youth Festival.
The revival of student mobility points to the emergence of a new generation of Russiacompetent Tanzanians and Tanzania-focused Russians, an investment whose returns may shape bilateral relations for decades to come.
Both Russian and Tanzanian experts acknowledge that the partnership has yet to reach its full potential. At the 2025 Joint Commission session, Tanzanian representatives emphasised the importance of maintaining the newly adopted results-oriented approach.
As Ambassador Avetisyan concluded, the challenge ahead lies not in defining shared ambitions, but in “consistently delivering practical outcomes that reflect the depth and longevity of our friendship”.
From the solidarity of the independence era to today’s multifaceted cooperation, Tanzania–Russia relations continue to evolve, anchored in history, shaped by present realities and increasingly focused on the future.