Ivan Chernomorchenko Participated in the Tanzania–Russia Business and Investment Forum in Arusha
On 15 May 2026, the Tanzania–Russia Business and Investment Forum took place in Arusha, organised at the margins of the third session of the Intergovernmental Tanzanian–Russian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
The Forum was held at the Arusha International Conference Centre and featured presentations by representatives of state agencies, development institutions, and business communities from both countries, as well as B2B and B2G sessions dedicated to practical aspects of Tanzanian–Russian trade, economic, and investment cooperation.
The organisation of the Forum was part of a broader process of intensifyingTanzanian–Russian relations, which have markedly gained momentum since 2022, not least owing to the work of the Intergovernmental Commission. Furthermore, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation took an active part in bilateral negotiations and in deepening ties between the two countries. Notably, on 6 November 2025, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergey Kiriyenko visited Tanzania and delivered a message from Vladimir Putin to President Samia Suluhu Hassan following her re-election.
In 2026, Russia and Tanzania mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In the run-up to this date, preparations are under way for a visit by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to Russia to attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, scheduled to take place from 3 to 6 June 2026. A framework agreement is likely to be signed on the SPIEF platform, and a declaration on strategic partnership between the two countries may be adopted as early as the Russia–Africa Forum in October 2026.
Ivan Chernomorchenko, Research Intern at the Centre for the Study of Stability and Risks at HSE University, took part in the B2B and B2G sessions. During the discussions, he addressed the issue of investment risks associated with doing business in Tanzania, noting that Tanzania remains one of the most stable countries in Africa and a preferred partner for Russia on the continent. In his words, Russia views Tanzania as a kind of ‘gateway to Africa’ and anticipates developing joint manufacturing ventures there, the output of which could be supplied to the markets of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community.
Particular attention was drawn to the fact that following the general election of 2025 and increased foreign policy pressure from the United States and the European Union, Tanzania has demonstrated an interest in further diversifying its trade and investment linkages. Against this backdrop, Russian–Tanzanian cooperation may receive an additional impetus. However, its development requires taking into account the systemic constraints faced by Russian business, namely sanctions pressure, financial restrictions, tariff and regulatory barriers, as well as the need for localising production and employing regional integration mechanisms. The development of joint projects in infrastructure, industry and investment could become not only an important area of bilateral cooperation, but also an element in shaping new contours of economic interaction in a multipolar world.
