TANZANIA has set a vision of increasing its annual sales to Turkey from the current $217m annually to $1bn.

Dr Selemani Jafo, the Industry and Trade minister, made this projection at the signing of the joint trade committee (JTC) declaration between the two countries in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Tanzania has become a major producer of various edible produce that have never accessed the market in Turkey, while it exports plenty of minerals to the southern European country, he said.

The signing of the agreement is a result of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit to Turkey last year where cooperation in the trade and industrial sectors was discussed, he said.

"When the leaders of our two countries met last year during President Samia's visit, they insisted that we increase the amount of sales because our current sales are very small. That is why we are aiming to increase sales to $1bn annually," he said.

Tanzania is widening cooperation with Turkey in agricultural, industrial and technology sectors as Turkey has registered great strides in its industrial sector, he affirmed, noting that Turkey sells many products here while Tanzania has a lot of resources.

“So we are planning to be able to sell a lot to them because we have everything to enable us to reach there,” the minister explained, while the deputy chief of mission at the Turkish embassy pointed at the strong and growing ties between the two nations.

He emphasized Türkiye’s commitment to deepening trade, investment and economic cooperation with particular focus on infrastructure, agriculture, energy and technology.

Praising collaborative efforts between the respective ministries of trade and foreign affairs, along with the warm friendship between the two nations, of the Tanzanian people, he said that the committee is expected to be a dynamic platform to strengthen bilateral trade relations.

Links created will help unlock new business opportunities and build a future of shared prosperity between the two countries, he said, asserting that the foundation for a trade partnership that will bring benefits to future generations has been laid.

Reflecting the deep friendship between Türkiye and Tanzania, the joint trade committee will be a dynamic platform to remove barriers, promote investments and unlock new opportunities, he said.

“Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Türkiye and Tanzania are building a future defined by trust, prosperity and progress,” he added.