TANZANIA and Côte d'Ivoire have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, technology and sports links, in the wake of a high level intergovernmental involving prime ministers here on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa met with his Ivorian counterpart, Robert Mambe, in a visit seen as a milestone in strengthening relations between the two fast-growing African economies.

The visiting premier said after the meeting that the talks focused on leveraging each country’s strengths to unlock mutual opportunities, particularly in agriculture and innovation. The two countries agreed to promote knowledge-sharing, enhance trade relations and explore new avenues for cooperation, he stated.

“Côte d'Ivoire is a global leader in cocoa, cashew and palm oil production. We believe there is a great deal Tanzania can learn from their experience to improve productivity in our own agricultural sectors,” he stated.

Tanzania already grows cashews in coastal regions and cocoa in Mbeya in particular, while there is potential to scale up through strategic partnerships, he said.

The respective ministers of agriculture will meet to outline specific areas for collaboration, including research, value addition and international market access, he stated.

Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of over 81 million, has succeeded in using agriculture as a foundation for industrial growth, he said, noting that Tanzania hopes to learn from this model “to create jobs and boost exports.’

“We also agreed to establish a Tanzania–Côte d'Ivoire Business Forum that will bring together private sector interests to exchange ideas, identify investment opportunities and promote trade,” he affirmed.

Recent reforms in Tanzania meant to improve the ease of doing business, including reducing the time required to obtain licenses, expanding investment zones and enhancing the logistics infrastructure would facilitate relevant undertakings, he said. 

There are also plans to launch direct flights to the Ivorian commercial capital to support tourism and trade, he said, while his counterpart, who also holds the Sports and Social Welfare portfolio, welcomed Tanzania’s growing interest in West Africa, praising President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership in advancing regional cooperation. 

He commended Tanzania for hosting the Africa Energy Forum earlier this year, describing it as a showcase of the country’s commitment to sustainable development.

The Ivorian premier his visitor’s optimism on agricultural collaboration, especially in modernizing cocoa and cashew production. “We’re eager to partner with Tanzania in advancing smart agricultural practices and value chains. Côte d'Ivoire has developed strong agri-tech capacity that we’re ready to share,” he declared.

The upcoming business forum would serve as a springboard for deeper economic ties and technology transfer between the two countries, he said, with the meeting coming on the sidelines of the African CEOs Forum.

The forum brought together public and private sector leaders from across the continent to discuss Africa’s economic transformation, officials said.

With both countries eyeing regional leadership roles in sustainable agriculture, trade and innovation, the bilateral meeting signals a shared vision for a more integrated and prosperous Africa, the Ivorian leader underlined.