Government officials said Tanzania aims to increase exports to Russia to 500 million US dollars by 2030 from the current 70 million dollars, while also attracting significant Russian investment in strategic sectors including energy, mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Mkumbo, described President Samia’s trip as an economic diplomacy mission designed to expand markets and unlock investment opportunities.

“As a country implementing Vision 2050, we are mobilising partners across the world to access capital, technology and markets needed to accelerate trade and investment,” Mkumbo said.

The visit forms part of Tanzania’s broader strategy to achieve its National Development Vision 2050, which targets industrial expansion, higher energy generation and economic transformation.

President Samia attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), where leaders, policymakers and business executives from more than 130 countries gathered to discuss global economic cooperation.

According to Tanzanian officials, the country’s investment pavilion at the forum attracted around 200 visitors, including representatives from dozens of foreign companies exploring potential partnerships in Tanzania.

Mkumbo said Russian companies had expressed interest in investing in fertiliser production, tourism, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining and railway infrastructure.

Other proposed projects include coffee processing, poultry farming, wheat cultivation, hotel development and the assembly of railway wagons to support Tanzania’s expanding Standard Gauge Railway network.

“They have shown strong interest in establishing fertiliser production facilities in Tanzania, which could help address one of the major challenges facing our agricultural sector,” he said.

Officials said 13 Russian companies are currently operating in Tanzania with investments valued at approximately 400 million dollars.

The government also highlighted the Mkuju River uranium project, which is expected to attract an estimated 1.2 billion dollars in capital investment.

Mkumbo said Tanzania and Russia had also reached an understanding on cooperation in nuclear energy development, describing it as a milestone for the country’s future energy plans.

“For the first time, Tanzania has entered arrangements that could pave the way for nuclear power generation within the next decade,” he said.

Tanzania aims to increase national electricity generation capacity to 70,000 megawatts by 2050 as part of its industrialisation drive. Officials say nuclear power could help diversify the country’s energy mix beyond hydropower and natural gas.

Director of International Trade Coordination and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador John Ulanga, said bilateral trade between the two countries currently stands at about 300 million dollars annually.

Tanzania mainly exports agricultural commodities such as coffee, cashew nuts and tobacco, while Russia exports manufactured goods including fertilisers.

Ulanga said Tanzania intends to increase exports of value-added products and services to the Russian market over the next five years.

He added that tourism is also expected to benefit from the launch of direct flights by Air Tanzania Company Limited between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Moscow beginning July 2, 2026.

Tanzanian Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo described President Samia’s visit made at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a historic step in strengthening bilateral relations.

Kombo said the visit reaffirmed Tanzania’s longstanding foreign policy of maintaining friendly relations with all nations and revived historical ties between the two countries.

Russia was among the first countries to recognise Tanganyika’s independence in 1961 and later recognised Zanzibar following the 1964 Revolution.

President Samia is only the second Tanzanian head of state to visit Russia in nearly six decades, following founding President Julius Nyerere’s visit to Moscow in 1969.

Notes to Editors

· President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently visited the Russian Federation and participated in the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026), one of the world’s leading platforms for economic cooperation and investment dialogue.

· Tanzania is implementing its National Development Vision 2050, which prioritises industrialisation, infrastructure development, energy expansion, technology transfer and economic transformation.

· The Government of Tanzania aims to increase exports to Russia from the current US$70 million to US$500 million by 2030.

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