European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, met with Hon. Dr. Stergomena Tax, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, as well as Hon. Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba, Minister of Finance and Planning today and discussed topics of common interest regarding Tanzania-European Union political and economic relations, development partnerships and regional integration.

This visit of Commissioner Urpilainen follows several meetings the President of Tanzania had with her counterparts of the European Union. In particular, during her visit to Brussels, Belgium, in February 2022, H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan met with the President of the European Council, H.E. Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, H.E. Ursula von der Leyen. Following those fruitful discussions, a first package of grants from the European Union, worth €180 Million (400 Billion TZS) was announced. This time, European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen is announcing a second package of €166 Million (370 Billion TZS) as part of the EU-Tanzania Annual Action Plan to support Blue Economy, a Tanzania high priority, as well as public and private finance.

This second package will contribute to implement the Global Gateway, the new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. Commissioner Urpilainen said: “worldwide, Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 Billion of investment by 2027, in a Team Europe approach between the EU, Member States, Development Financial Institutions and the private sector. In Tanzania, these actors will work together with the Government to use the packages of EU grants, such as the one announced today, in order to bring additional investments”.

“This second package of grants complements the joint strategy of our partnership. As Government of Tanzania, we see the mix of direct contribution to the National Budget and support to the private sector as the best combination to guarantee economic development in our country. The European strategy that aims to promote sustainable and inclusive investments is perfectly in line with Tanzania’s vision and I express my sincere appreciation for this excellent collaboration”, Hon. Mwigulu Nchemba Minister of Finance and Planning underlined during the same event.

A third EU package of €20 million (45 Billion TZS) will soon specifically address Tanzanian girls’ education.

Dr. Nchemba acknowledged that, EU is one of country’s key strategic partners in terms of supporting Tanzania’s development agenda in achieving sustainable development through a magnitude of the financial supports that EU had extended to Tanzania since the first Partnership Agreement between EU and African Caribbean and Pacific(ACP) States.