Members of the Ukrainian delegation from the Verkhovna Rada, including People's Deputies attending the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, visited Tanzania.
Oleksandr Sanchenko, the head of the parliamentary group of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on interparliamentary relations with the United Republic of Tanzania, described this visit as historic. He stated, “For the first time in the history of our countries' relations, a parliamentary delegation from Ukraine visited the Tanzanian Parliament. As the head of the friendship group with Tanzania in the Ukrainian Parliament, I am delighted about this milestone.”
He added that during the visit, he conducted several productive meetings with his colleagues, People's Deputies Zhan Beleniuk and Oleksiy Zhmerenetsky.
During the meeting with Dr. Tulia Akson, the Speaker of the Parliament of Tanzania, Ukrainian parliamentarians discussed potential areas of cooperation between the two countries. This included discussions about the opening of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tanzania and the recognition of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-33 by the Tanzanian Parliament.
"A few days before our meeting, Mrs. Tulia was elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which unites 180 parliaments worldwide. Therefore, they also discussed cooperation on the international stage, particularly in addressing the issue of children deported by Russia," – Oleksandr Sanchenko stated.
In their meeting with Hussein Mohamed Bashe, the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Tanzania, Ukrainian parliamentarians explored possible areas of collaboration in the agricultural sector. Oleksandr Sanchenko pointed out Tanzania's keen interest in sunflower oil and wheat, emphasizing, "I am sure that this can be a win-win story for our countries."
In addition, Ukrainian parliamentarians met with Tanzanian colleagues from the Friendship Group with Ukraine. During this meeting, they expressed their gratitude to Dr. Joseph Kizito Magami, the group's leader, for his active role in strengthening the ties between our two countries.
Summarizing the results of the visit, Oleksandr Sanchenko expressed his belief that the trip of Ukrainian parliamentarians to Tanzania will establish a foundation for long-term cooperation between our countries, extending beyond the inter-parliamentary level. He also emphasized that, as the chairman of the Friendship Group with Tanzania, he is committed to doing everything possible to enhance cooperation between Ukraine and Tanzania. “Working with African countries is of great importance to us, as emphasized by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia invests significant resources in spreading disinformation about events in Ukraine, and it is our mission to convey the true picture of the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people to African nations,” – stressed the People's Deputy.