Iran to establish tractor assembly plant in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Islamic Republic of Iran is set to establish a tractor assembly plant in Tanzania after the two countries’ public and private sectors signed over ten Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Community, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, along with Iran’s Minister for Agriculture Jihad, Gholamreza Nouri, witnessed the signing of 11 MoUs during the 5th session of the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting between Tanzania and Iran.

The two officials pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

Ambassador Kombo told delegates that the signing of the agreements signifies the determination of both sides to elevate their bilateral relationship to the next level.

According to Minister Kombo, the last time Tanzania and Iran held a JPC session was in 2008 in Tehran.

“This year’s bilateral meeting served as a platform for taking stock of the progress made and proposing new areas of cooperation,” he said.

He encouraged Tanzanians to seize the opportunities presented by the agreements, particularly in the agriculture, technology and pharmaceutical industries.

“The JPC meeting is a valuable and strong instrument for these two countries, examining a wide spectrum of areas with tangible benefits,” he said.

On his part, Iran’s Minister for Agriculture Jihad noted that, in addition to Tanzania’s population of over 60 million people, the country’s geographical location is significant, as it serves as a gateway to other African landlocked countries.

Minister Nouri added that while Iran is well advanced in technology, Tanzania offers various opportunities in agriculture. He emphasised that the two countries could leverage the strengths to improve their economies.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde said Iran’s decision to establish a tractor assembly plant in Tanzania aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s plan to ensure that over 10,000 tractors are supplied to farmers by 2030.

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Mr Silinde, who represented the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Hussein Bashe at the event, noted that the country will allocate 10,000 acres to Iranian investors, where block farms will be established as part of the plan to transform the agriculture sector.

He added that two top Iranian investors are expected to invest between 40 million US dollar (about 108.7bn/-) and 70 million US dollar (about 190.1bn/-) in the country once the deals are finalised.

Minister for Culture, Arts and Agriculture, Dr Damas Ndumbaro represented his department during the signing of an MoU that will facilitate cooperation between the two countries in the fields of sports and culture.

Earlier, the Head of the Non-Gulf Countries Department of the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Juvenal Lema mentioned areas in which the two countries have agreed to establish cooperation and partnerships.

These include agriculture, fisheries, tourism, culture and heritage, science and technology, health, education, politics and diplomacy, security, justice and legal matters, trade, industry and investment.