Turkey, Tanzania ink deals to boost trade, development

Turkey and Tanzania have signed nine agreements in defense, economic development, and health during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the East African country, according to Anadolu Agency.

Erdoğan, accompanied by several Turkish officials and trade representatives, met his Tanzanian counterpart, John Magufuli, at the country's Presidential Palace.        

At a joint press conference after the signing ceremony, Magufuli said the agreements would strengthen the development of both countries.        

Erdoğan said the bilateral and inter-delegations meetings were "fruitful" for both Turkey and Tanzania.
"We will further deepen our cooperation with the new projects in the economy, trade, tourism, agriculture, railways, industry and construction, and the agreements we have signed clearly demonstrate our determination in this direction," Erdoğan said. 

Addressing businesspeople of both countries at a Turkish-Tanzanian business forum held by Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Erdoğan said Ankara sought to boost investments by contributing to Tanzania's development.

"We believe that we have to increase our bilateral trade volume, which is below $150 million, to higher levels," he said. "We agreed during bilateral negotiations that we have to increase this goal first to $250 million and then to $500 million. The progress we have made in recent years shows that these figures are reachable."

Magufuli said Turkish investors had employed more than 2,000 people in Tanzania.    
    
Tanzania asked for a loan from the state-owned Export Credit Bank of Turkey (Eximbank) to help finance a stretch of a new railway it hopes will help it open up East Africa's hinterland and compete with...