BRUSSELS-The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has further strengthened its strategic engagement with the European Union following a successful round of high-level consultations in Brussels led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Hon. Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo.
The Minister held official engagements with: Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy H.E Kaja Kallas; the Political and Security Committee (PSC) (the EU’s principal ambassador-level forum for foreign, security and defence policy coordination); Vice-President of the European Parliament Hon. Younous Omarjee; and EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Hon. Jozef Síkela.
These engagements reflect Tanzania’s confident, pro-development foreign policy that prioritises national interests, results-oriented partnerships, and effective international cooperation.
Flanked by a ministerial delegation that included Minister of State from the President’s Office Prof.Palamagamba Kabudi, Minister Kombo held substantive consultations with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission H.E. Kaja Kallas.
The discussions focused on strengthening practical cooperation between Tanzania and the European Union, particularly in the areas of regional peace and security, rules-based trade, investment facilitation, and predictable partnership frameworks that support effective implementation and delivery.
The programme also included consultations with the Political and Security Committee (PSC) at the European Union’s core institutional headquarters. Comprising the Ambassadors of all 27 EU Member States and chaired by the Ambassador of the serving EU Council Presidency, the PSC is the Union’s principal ambassador-level body for shaping foreign, security, and defence policy. During the session,
Minister Kombo engaged directly with them, underscoring the high importance Tanzania attaches to this strategic EU body.
The engagement provided Tanzania with a platform to present its perspectives within the EU’s decisionshaping structures and reaffirmed Tanzania’s standing as a reliable and constructive partner on peace,security, and regional stability in East Africa.
On the parliamentary front, the Minister Kombo held engagements at the European Parliament, including discussions with Vice-President Younous Omarjee.
These engagements strengthened parliamentary diplomacy as an important pillar of Tanzania–European Union relations, supporting longterm cooperation on trade, governance and people-to-people relations.
Development cooperation and investment promotion featured prominently in discussions with Commissioner Jozef Síkela, whose mandate focuses on building sustainable and mutually beneficial international partnerships. Tanzania emphasised its priority for bankable, high-impact cooperation that supports employment, skills development, value addition and resilient infrastructure, in line with the Government’s national transformation agenda.
Tanzania’s foreign policy direction
The Brussels engagements are fully aligned with the foreign policy vision articulated by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan in her new year message to the diplomats, which marked a turning page in Tanzania’s diplomacy.
The President underscored a clear doctrine based on pragmatism, respect for national sovereignty and constant engagement with all partners.
This approach reaffirms Tanzania’s strong commitment to multilateralism and constructive cooperation with all partners in pursuit of shared prosperity, peace and sustainable development.
At the core of this policy direction is a consistent message of mutual respect and partnership on the basis of equality and shared benefit.
Tanzania continues to pursue win-win cooperation models that advance national development priorities while delivering value to its international partners.
These engagements are also consistent with the European Union’s stated cooperation priorities with Tanzania focusing on green development, human capital and employment, and governance; thereby strengthening the pipeline for structured programmes, implementation support and investment mobilisation.
As part of strategic communication and public diplomacy, Minister Kombo granted an interview with Diplomatic World at Tanzania’s Embassy in Brussels, highlighting the purpose and outcomes of the highlevel programme “at the heart of Europe.”
The Minister underscored that Tanzania’s engagements in Brussels are a deliberate investment in relationship-building across EU institutions that is designed to deepen trust, widen cooperation channels, and strengthen Tanzania’s profile as a stable, credible and opportunity-rich partner for trade, investment and development cooperation.
Engagement with the European Union remains particularly important in the period following the General Elections of 29 October 2025. The European Union is a key development, trade and political partner for Tanzania and an important stakeholder in multilateral cooperation frameworks.
In this context, Tanzania has and will continue to engage openly and constructively with the EU while undertaking domestic institutional processes, including the findings of an Independent Commission of Inquiry established with an aim of finding the root cause of the post-election violence in October 2025.
These efforts demonstrate the Government’s commitment to accountability, transparency and institutional strengthening in accordance with the Constitution and national laws.
Sustained dialogue with the European Union ensures that these national processes are well understood while safeguarding continuity in development cooperation, investment flows and economic confidence.
In his discussions, Minister Kombo explained that Brussels matters to Tanzania because it is a central hub for European Union policy coordination, financing decisions and international partnerships.
Tanzania’s sustained engagement at the institutional level in Brussels is therefore a strategic investment in economic diplomacy, trade expansion and investment attraction—while ensuring that Tanzania’s perspectives on regional peace and security are effectively communicated.
The high-power delegation by the Foreign Ministry reiterates that Tanzania is not a passive recipient of cooperation but a proactive and confident partner, shaping its international relationships, securing practical outcomes, and advancing partnerships that deliver tangible benefits for the people of Tanzania.
The Tanzanian delegation accompanying the Minister included Hon. Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi, Amb.Swahiba H. Mndeme (Director of Europe), Amb. Jestas Abuok Nyamanga (Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the European Union), and other senior officials.