Kikwete for prominent global leaders’ meet

President Jakaya Kikwete is among the few prominent global leaders who have been invited to attend an international forum to discuss new ideas for a fair globalisation.

President Jakaya Kikwete

A statement issued on Thursday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications in Dar es Salaam on Thursday said President Kikwete has been invited by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-Moon and the President of the European Commission, Jose Barosso at a retreat to be held in Alpbach village in Austria.

The two-day retreat will be co-chaired by Ban Ki-Moon and Barosso and it will be held under the European Forum Institute. Mr Kikwete is the only African leader who has been invited. Apart from the various discussions that will take place at the meeting, Mr Kikwete is also scheduled to make a speech during the opening of the forum.

During the closing ceremony, the Tanzanian president, the two co-chairs as well as the President of Austria, Dr Heinz Fischer, will also make statements. President Kikwete left the country for Austria on Wednesday night for the meeting where he will present a paper on sustainable energy, climate change in addition to food security, nutrition and education.

Meanwhile, the government of Zanzibar takes seriously the security and safety of tourists in the Islands and special steps are being taken to ensure that tourism spots are protected because the sector is the country’s main economic venture.

Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein said this on Thursday in his discussions with the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of The Netherlands, Ms Lilianne Ploumen.

The two leaders also discussed other bilateral issues. “We take seriously the issue of security in our country and we have prepared a special plan of beefing up security in tourist areas,” Dr Shein said in a statement issued by the office of the Press Secretary in the Zanzibar State House yesterday.

He said that the tourism sector is the backbone of the Zanzibar economy, contributing 80 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. He assured The Netherlands minister that his government ensures the safety of all tourists and other visitors in Zanzibar.

Dr Shein said that reports of a fire that gutted Paradise Hotel at Marumbi, in South Unguja Region have saddened him. He stressed that state organs are looking into the incident.

“Preliminary reports that we have so far, show that it was a normal accident. I am happy that here were no casualties among tourists and hotel personnel, except for the minor injuries that two people suffered,” he explained.

Dr Shein’s visit to The Netherlands is aimed at looking at new areas of cooperation and strengthening the relationship of the two countries.

“We have had a good relationship for many years and we have cooperated in a number of areas including education, health and infrastructure and now we feel it is the right time to look at new areas of cooperation for the benefit of the people of the two countries,” he explained.

He named the new areas of cooperation as including energy, sea fishing, infrastructure and increased investment in the tourism sector.”We would like to see increased investment in tourism. We wish to host tourists in Zanzibar and other national parks,” he noted.

Dr Shein expressed appreciation for the support that has been extended to Zanzibar and Tanzania in general by the The Netherlands government.Dr Shein was accompanied by the Minister for Land, Settlement, Water and Energy, Mr Ramadhani Shaaba and the Minister for Infrastructure and Communication, Mr Rashid Suleiman.

The delegation also included the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Mahadhi Juma Maalim, Tanzania’s Ambassador in Belgium, Mr Diodorus Kamala and the presidents advisor on International Relations, Investment and Economy, Ambassador Mohamed Ramia.

In another development, the government of The Netherlands is ready to cooperate with the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government in developing the energy sector by availing expertise in managing the initiative.

The Netherlands’ Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Ms Lilianne Ploumen, told her visitor, Dr Shein. “We have extensive expertise in innovation and in managing the energy sector. We are ready to cooperate in this area,” she said.

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