Daressalaam, July 10 : India and Tanzania signed five agreements including water resources management and establishment of vocational training centre at Zanzibar during meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tanzanian President, John Pombe Joseph Magufuli in Dar Es Salaam today.
The meeting was followed by a delegation level talk. After the signing and exchange of agreements, both the leaders made a press statement.
Modi said, "The Eastern coast of Africa, and Tanzania in particular have enjoyed strong links with India. We are old maritime neighbours. Together, our leaders and our people have fought colonialism and racial oppression. Our merchants have traded since early nineteenth century. And, the vast stretch of Indian Ocean has kept our societies and our people connected”.
"President Magufuli has a vision for nation building, development and industrialization – a vision that is my dream for India too," he said.
The Prime Minister informed that India has extended a 100 million dollar line of credit for water supply project in Dar-Es-Salam and another line of credit of 92 million dollars for Zanjibar. For similar water supply project in 17 other cities in Tanzania, India has agreed to extend line of credit of 500 million dollars.
The 65-year-old Modi also interacted with Solar Mamas, a group of rural women solar engineers from different African countries who have been trained under programmes supported by India for harnessing solar energy.
They demonstrated their skills in fabrication, repair and maintenance of solar lanterns and household lighting systems to the Prime Minister. They also presented their honey-extraction and stitching practices and sung a song “we shall overcome”.
Both the leaders played the wooden drums for a minute after the Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the State House in Dar-es-Salaam.
