Doha, September 28 (QNA) - Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba said his visit to the State of Qatar provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and partnership between the two countries, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and the economy.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) today, the Tanzanian Prime Minister said he discussed bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them with HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, in addition to a number of topics of mutual interest.

He added that the visit also included meetings with business councils, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Qatar, and a number of private companies interested in investing in Tanzania and establishing partnerships with the Tanzanian private sector.

His Excellency also referred to his visit to Qatar's transport sector, highlighting that Tanzania attaches importance to cooperation in this field and notws that a large number of young Tanzanians are employed by Mowasalat (Karwa).

HE the Tanzanian Prime Minister affirmed that the discussions focused on ways to strengthen the partnership between the two countries at the government-to-government level, as well as between their private sectors, in a manner that would increase trade and improve the trade balance between Qatar and Tanzania.

He said the two countries possess significant potential and competitive advantages that could be utilized more extensively, expressing his belief that capitalizing on these advantages would help strengthen trade and generate greater benefits for the peoples of both countries.

In this context, he noted that the State of Qatar imports a number of goods from other countries, some of them from relatively distant markets, including animal feed. He highlighted that there was an opportunity to produce some of these products in Tanzania, which could help reduce import costs while creating opportunities for production and investment in Tanzania.

He noted that this represented just one example among a range of commodities and products identified by the two sides as potential areas for cooperation.

He also said that Tanzania has a surplus in the production of grains, maize, rice and other foodstuffs, noting that the surplus exceeds 3.4 million tonnes above domestic requirements. He said utilizing Tanzania's production capacity and competitive advantages could create opportunities to increase exports to the Qatari market, generate savings on import costs and improve the trade balance between the two countries.

Regarding investment sectors in his country, the Tanzanian Prime Minister said Tanzania had begun implementing Tanzania Development Vision 2050, which identifies a number of priority sectors, foremost among them agriculture, extractive industries, oil and gas, minerals and mineral processing, and infrastructure.

He noted that Tanzania was investing heavily in infrastructure, with one of the most prominent projects being the Standard Gauge Railway, which will extend for more than 1,300 kilometers upon completion.

He added that Tanzania aspires for the railway to become the longest of its kind in Africa and to rank among the five longest standard-gauge railways in the world.

He noted that the railway project forms part of an integrated transport ecosystem that also includes ports, pointing to the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara, in addition to Bagamoyo Port, which is being developed alongside other economic activities.

He affirmed that these projects form part of Tanzania's efforts to develop infrastructure, strengthen its transport ecosystem and support economic and commercial activities.

The Tanzanian Prime Minister also highlighted tourism as a sector with significant and distinctive potential, noting that his country offers a wide range of tourist attractions, including national parks, the beaches of Zanzibar and Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the world's highest mountains.

He also pointed to the blue economy, livestock and fisheries, stressing that they represent important sectors within the Tanzanian economy.

Regarding energy, he said the world is shifting from conventional energy sources toward a clean energy mix, affirming that Tanzania is also moving in this direction and seeking to keep pace with the global transition toward clean energy.

HE the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba stressed that these areas, together with opportunities for trade and investment cooperation, provide a broad foundation for strengthening the partnership between the State of Qatar and the United Republic of Tanzania, both at the government level and between the business sectors of the two countries. (QNA)