"Great pride for us to confer honourary doctorate by JNU on Tanzanian President": Jaishankar

New Delhi: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was on Tuesday conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the Jawaharlal Nehru University for her pivotal role in fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations.
In his address at the event held at JNU campus in the national capital External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "It is a matter of great pride for us to confer the honorary doctorate on Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan today from the JNU. I take particular satisfaction in this as an alumnus of this university."
Jaishankar further emphasized that Tanzanian President Hassan is an old friend and not a stranger to India.
"She has personally experienced the capabilities of Indian institutions. Though it is our first chance to welcome her as the president of Tanzania, we greet her as an old friend," Jaishankar said.
He said, education and capacity building are important facets between ties between the two countries.
"By honouring her with an educational conferment, we not only recognize a long association with India but highlight this particular aspect of our relationship. Education and capacity building are important facets of our bilateral ties," Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister pointed out that over 5000 Tanzanian nationals have been trained in educational institutions in India.
Jaishankar added, "India also plays host to several Tanzanian students who study in India and in our universities, young minds brim with confidence as they shape, India's future through startups, inventions and innovations."
These students carry a profound sense of responsibility and duty towards india and Tanzania's collective future. "I'm sure that their Tanzanian fellow students certainly benefit from that. Taking this link further from our side, Tanzania, is the preferred destination to set up the first overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Zanzibar," he said.
He said that classes for the first batch are scheduled to begin this month at the first IIT Madras campus opened in Tanzania.
"The institution has the potential to become the premier centre for technical education for the entire African continent. It is symbolic of our cooperation with the Global South, and I deem it a personal privilege to have been present in Zanzibar at its inauguration," Jaishankar said.
The union minister noted that 70 students have been finalized for the first batch.
He also highlighted that the G20 summit addressed the fundamental issues of the developing world, noting the inclusion of the African Union into the G20 as a full member.
"Providing a voice for the Global South has been the overriding concern of our G20 presidency. And again, you're all familiar that we consulted with 125 countries at the Voice of the Global South summit to ensure that the G 20 addresses the fundamental issues of the developing world. The inclusion of the African Union into the G 20 as a full member was one of the highest successes of our presidency," he said.
Jaishankar further said that India and Tanzania enjoy traditionally close and friendly relations marked by "sound political understanding, regular high-level visits, diversified economic engagement and strong people-to-people contacts."
He said, economic ties between the two countries have always been a strong pillar and that despite the global disruption and challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, the bilateral trade between India Tanzania have witnessed strong growth from both sides.
The Tanzanian President is on a state visit to India at the invitation of President Draupadi Murmu.