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Foreign relations of Tanzania

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

Foreign Secretary David Lammy visits Samoa for an international meeting.

Tanzania, officially known as the United Republic of Tanzania, has a long history of working with other countries to help keep peace and support people in need. Its first president, Julius Nyerere, was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement and helped lead important groups during the Cold War era. He worked closely with other leaders to support ending unfair systems in Southern Africa and helped with peace talks in Burundi until his death on 14 October 1999. Each year, Tanzania remembers Nyerere and his work for peace.

Today, Tanzania keeps good relationships with its neighbors and works to solve problems peacefully. The country has helped organize peace talks for Burundi and supports agreements to bring calm to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In March 1996, Tanzania, along with Uganda and Kenya, started talks about working together more closely. This led to an East African Cooperation Treaty in September 1999, which aims to bring the three countries closer through sharing resources and building stronger economies as part of the East African Community. Tanzania is also part of the Southern African Development Community, making it the only country in East Africa with this connection.

Tanzania has also been a kind host to people who had to leave their homes because of conflict. The country has welcomed refugees from places like Mozambique, the DR Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. This help is often done together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, showing Tanzania’s commitment to caring for others in difficult times.

Diplomatic relations

Tanzania has diplomatic ties with many countries around the world. These relationships help Tanzania work together with others on important issues.

#CountryDate
1 Nigeria6 December 1961
2 Canada9 December 1961
3 China9 December 1961
4 Germany9 December 1961
5 India9 December 1961
6 Italy9 December 1961
7 Japan9 December 1961
8 Serbia9 December 1961
9 United Kingdom9 December 1961
10 United States9 December 1961
11 Russia10 December 1961
12 Czech Republic12 December 1961
13 Philippines15 December 1961
14 Israel20 December 1961
15 France22 December 1961
16 Ghana4 January 1962
17 Poland14 January 1962
18 Netherlands31 March 1962
19 Cuba6 May 1962
20 Australia12 May 1962
21 Bulgaria16 June 1962
22 Belgium21 August 1962
23 Egypt14 November 1962
24 Hungary23 November 1962
25 Turkey5 July 1963
26 Somalia16 October 1963
27 Burundi1963
28 Sudan1963
29 Indonesia25 January 1964
30 Algeria21 February 1964
31  Switzerland26 April 1964
32 Romania5 May 1964
33 Sweden29 May 1964
34 Democratic Republic of the Congo30 May 1964
35 Ethiopia1 June 1964
36 Ivory Coast2 July 1964
37 Norway28 September 1964
38 Mali24 November 1964
39 Denmark8 December 1964
40 Rwanda7 January 1965
41 Zambia7 January 1965
42 North Korea13 January 1965
43 Vietnam14 February 1965
44 Finland14 June 1965
45 Morocco8 October 1965
46 Liberia27 May 1966
47 AlbaniaMay 1966
48 Austria31 August 1966
49 Syria13 September 1966
50 Guinea22 December 1966
51 Mongolia17 January 1967
52 Pakistan20 February 1967
53 Spain23 February 1967
— Holy See28 April 1968
54 Tunisia2 December 1968
55 Senegal22 August 1969
56 Brazil5 January 1970
57 Lesotho23 January 1970
58 Trinidad and Tobago2 July 1970
59 Guyana28 December 1970
60 Barbados8 March 1971
61 Jamaica6 April 1971
62 Chile12 June 1971
63 Sierra Leone3 November 1971
64 Botswana29 November 1971
65 Greece29 November 1971
66 YemenApril 1972
67 CameroonAugust 1972
68 United Arab Emirates8 January 1973
69 Kuwait19 January 1973
70 Mexico19 February 1973
71 Iraq15 April 1973
72 Madagascar28 June 1973
73 Sri LankaJuly 1973
74 Eswatini20 February 1974
75 Argentina7 March 1974
76   Nepal10 January 1975
77 Portugal1 April 1975
78 Libya15 April 1975
79 Mozambique25 June 1975
80 Peru12 August 1975
81 Comoros1976
82 Iceland17 November 1977
83 Cyprus24 February 1978
84 Laos15 May 1978
85 Suriname30 June 1978
86 Bahrain1978
87 Benin25 May 1979
88 Ireland3 December 1979
89 Cape Verde11 March 1980
90 Papua New Guinea29 March 1980
91 Zimbabwe30 April 1980
92 Djibouti3 December 1980
93 Singapore12 December 1980
94 Luxembourg14 December 1980
95 Thailand30 December 1980
96 NicaraguaDecember 1980
97 Oman9 January 1981
98 Angola25 August 1981
99 Republic of the Congo22 October 1981
100 Colombia28 October 1981
101 New Zealand7 December 1981
102 Venezuela11 December 1981
103 Uganda15 December 1981
104 Malaysia29 September 1982
105 Iran13 October 1982
106 Qatar13 December 1982
107 Bangladesh10 November 1983
108 Kenya13 December 1983
109 Saudi Arabia11 April 1984
110 Togo27 December 1984
111 Guinea-Bissau1984
112 Malawi16 May 1985
113 Seychelles11 November 1986
114 Vanuatu18 December 1986
115 Uruguay1 April 1987
116 Maldives11 August 1988
117 Namibia1990
— State of Palestine1990
118 Armenia22 April 1992
119 South Korea30 April 1992
120 Ukraine8 July 1992
121 Slovakia1 January 1993
122 Slovenia4 June 1993
123 Croatia2 July 1993
124 Lithuania11 November 1993
125 South Africa18 July 1994
126 Cambodia8 March 1995
127 Belarus23 May 1996
128 Estonia24 July 1996
129 North Macedonia22 January 1997
130 Latvia28 November 1997
131 Brunei6 October 2000
132 Mauritius22 May 2007
133 Eritrea13 July 2007
— Kosovo2 April 2014
134 Jordan3 June 2015
135 Malta11 June 2015
136 Ecuador16 June 2015
137 Mauritania1 September 2015
138 South Sudan11 April 2016
139 Fiji26 May 2016
140 Niger23 March 2017
141 Georgia20 October 2018
142 Bosnia and Herzegovina25 January 2019
143 Azerbaijan7 February 2019
144 Kazakhstan13 February 2019
145 Gambia25 April 2019
146 Central African Republic8 November 2019
147 Burkina Faso25 August 2021
148 Equatorial Guinea28 March 2025
149 Kyrgyzstan26 September 2025
150 ChadUnknown
151 GabonUnknown
152 LebanonUnknown
— Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicUnknown

Bilateral relations

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

CountryFormal Relations Began
Burundi1963
Kenya13 December 1983
Malawi16 May 1985
Mozambique25 June 1975
Rwanda7 January 1965
Uganda13 December 1983
CountryFormal Relations Began
Brazil5 January 1970
Mexico19 February 1973
United States9 December 1961
CountryFormal Relations Began
China9 December 1961
India9 December 1961
Israel20 December 1961
Japan1961
Malaysia
Palestine1973
Qatar13 December 1982
Saudi Arabia11 April 1984
South Korea30 April 1992
Turkey5 July 1963
United Arab Emirates
CountryFormal Relations Began
Denmark8 December 1964
Germany9 December 1961
Netherlands31 March 1962
Poland15 January 1962
Russia11 December 1961
United Kingdom22 April 1964

International trips made by presidents of Tanzania

Jakaya Kikwete

Further information: List of international presidential trips made by Jakaya Kikwete

John Magufuli

Further information: List of presidential trips made by John Magufuli

John Magufuli made 10 international trips to 8 countries during his time as president. He was the first Tanzania president to only travel within Africa. The president focused on smaller groups and often sent his Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan to represent him. He served six years and made fewer international visits than any president before him.

All his visits were to meet with other countries, except for one meeting with leaders from the African Union in Ethiopia and another meeting with the East African Community in Uganda.

Samia Suluhu

Further information: List of international presidential trips made by Samia Suluhu Hassan

Samia Suluhu made her first international trip in April 2021 after becoming president on 19 March 2021. Since then, she has been making trips to strengthen Tanzania's position in the world.

Related articles

Burundi
Uganda
Kenya
Democratic Republic of the Congo
East African Community
Tanzania

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