The session served as an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review areas of cooperation, remove barriers, and open up new prospects for breakthrough economic and trade projects.

A Vietnamese inter-agency delegation led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Chairman of the Vietnamese Subcommittee, alongside representatives from ministries, agencies, and enterprises of both countries, attended the session.

Prioritizing key areas of cooperation

During the first working day, both sides held a technical session with the participation of Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation James Millya, Director of Department of Asia and Australasia Felista S. Rugambwa, Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania Vu Thanh Huyen, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Pham Ngoc Mau, alongside representatives from ministries and sectors of both countries.

Both sides held in-depth discussions across groups of fields, including politics, diplomacy, and security; finance, investment, trade, and transport; agriculture, forestry, fishery, and livestock; and science and technology.

Key areas of discussion included promoting the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA), the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTA), trade promotion, agricultural and food processing development, irrigation, fisheries, forest management, climate change adaptation, digital transformation, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The two sides agreed to enhance coordination, build highly feasible cooperation programs, and promote the South-South cooperation mechanism in agriculture, thereby closely connecting management agencies, enterprises, and professional organizations of both countries.

Expanding business and investment connectivity
During the second working day, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and Viettel Tanzania (Halotel), organized the Vietnam-Tanzania Business Forum, which drew the participation of more than 50 delegates and major Vietnamese enterprises such as Vingroup, Intimex, Phulimex, and Viettel.

The forum focused on exchanging views on the investment and business environment and cooperation opportunities in agriculture, agricultural processing, infrastructure, mining, technology, telecommunications, and the marine economy. The Tanzanian side introduced preferential policies while emphasizing the demand for enhanced deep processing, higher value addition, and the development of domestic production chains. For its part, the Vietnamese side shared experience, presented corporate capabilities, and sought specific cooperation projects.

Immediately following the forum, Vietnamese enterprises actively deployed field activities. Vingroup conducted real estate market surveys in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma; Phulimex explored the agricultural product market; while Viettel worked with host agencies regarding telecommunications and digital transformation.

Currently, Vietnam-Tanzania trade relations continue to record positive developments, with bilateral turnover projected to reach nearly US$400 million by 2025. Vietnam identifies Tanzania as an important partner in East Africa and stands ready to serve as a bridge for the country's goods to access the ASEAN market.

The two sides also consented to accelerate the building of stable supply chains for commodities where Tanzania has strengths and Vietnam has demand, such as raw cashew nuts, cotton, legal timber, and several essential minerals.

In terms of investment, Halotel (Viettel Tanzania) continues to be a prominent bright spot with a total investment of about US$1 billion, serving more than 18 million subscribers and creating jobs for over 30,000 local workers, thereby making a practical contribution to the development of telecommunications infrastructure and the digital economy in this East African nation.

Realizing the session’s outcomes and expanding locality-to-locality cooperation

At the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, the second meeting of the Vietnam-Tanzania Joint Committee took place under the co-chairage of the heads of the two sub-committees.

Both sides reviewed all areas of cooperation, concurred on priority fields, and officially signed the minutes of the meeting, outlining specific measures to translate the reached agreements into reality. The two sides pledged to further completing foundational legal frameworks, particularly the BIPA and the DTA, to create a more transparent and favorable business environment.

Also within the framework of the meeting, Intimex Group Joint Stock Company signed a cooperation document with Akros Cashew Factory and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (METL). These are concrete steps contributing to expanding trade, connecting supply chains, and creating further room for cooperation for the business communities of the two countries.

Continuing the working schedule, the Vietnamese delegation worked with local authorities in Arusha to conduct field surveys. At the meeting with Amos Gabriel Makalla, Regional Commissioner for Arusha, the two sides discussed potential cooperation in agriculture, agricultural processing, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

The second meeting of the Vietnam-Tanzania Joint Committee and its sideline activities have contributed to consolidating traditional friendship and opening up new directions. The achieved results, particularly direct business connectivity, will create strong impetus to turn potential into substantive projects, thus deepening the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Tanzania.

Source: VOV

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