Non-alignment, multilateralism, pan-Africanism, decolonisation, anti-racism and anti-apartheid have been the main traditional planks of Tanzania’s foreign policy. Nyerere, the country’s tallest leader, who bequeathed sound foundations to the country’s institutions, and shaped its foreign policy, shared ideology, worldview, and much friendship with Indian leaders, most notably Indira Gandhi - and later Rajiv Gandhi.

In the post-cold war world - having brought colonialism, racism and apartheid to an end, the post-socialism/Ujamaa Tanzania, like most other countries around the world, now has a foreign policy with economic liberalisation and development, and poverty alleviation in the vanguard. A major thrust is, naturally, on the African issues, including pan-Africanism, and the Great Lakes region - in Tanzania’s immediate neighbourhood, and impinging directly on it.

Tanzania continues to have a neutral but constructive stance on the various disputes in Africa, all around it, and in particular in the Great Lakes region, playing a benign positive role in addressing these disputes. Nyerere was the Facilitator in the search for national reconciliation in Burundi. Tanzania’s contribution to promoting peace and national reconciliation in DRC is similarly appreciated. Tanzania’s good offices are regularly sought for conflict resolutions in the region. Arusha in northern Tanzania is the seat for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Over a million refugees, from Burundi, DRC and Rwanda, have had shelter in Tanzania in recent years and even curently.

Tanzania is a member of about all significant international organisations, including UN, NAM, Commonwealth, AU, IBRD/IMF, and WTO, as well as IOR-ARC. In Africa it is a member of the African Union - subscribing to the pan-Africanist concept behind it, as well as NEPAD, and of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and East African Community (EAC).

Tanzania continues to enjoy a high standing in Africa, on account of its size (among the larger); Nyerere’s stature and legacies; its continued political stability – perhaps unparalleled in the continent; political traditions - Tanzania for long years led the fight for decolonisation, and against racism and apartheid; social unity unfettered by tribalism; not being embroiled in any significant controversies; and its relatively high economic growth and progress in poverty alleviation.

Tanzania is a committed votary of regional co-operation/organisations. SADC is a natural high priority, for political, economic and commercial reasons, and Tanzania’s role in SADC fora is active and effective, commensurate with its standing and interests. Tanzania hosted the last SADC summit in August 2003, with Mkapa assuming it chairmanship for a year. Tanzania quit COMESA, in 2000, on the eve of EAC coming into being.

With much in common among Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda - the three East African countries - in terms of history, geography, demography, tribal composition, and economy, it was natural for them to seek a closer unity among themselves as they did in 1967 by forming the EAC. EAC had a promising start, with several shared institutions, corporations, and services, but it foundered in 1977, among others, in the wake of Idi Amin’s regime in Uganda. Tanzania had to resort to a military offensive a gainst Idi Amin (the Kagera war, 1978-79), ending in his toppling and reinstatement of Obote. The common impulses for a closer unity, however, remained intact, leading to a process of EAC’s revival. The new EAC was launched, once again, with the signing of a Treaty in November 1999, and the formal launch on 15 January 2001. The signing of a Customs Union Protocol on 2 March 2004 was first further important step in advancing towards the eventual professed objective of ‘integration'.

Tanzania is a vocal advocate and supporter of the United Nations, and its spirit of multilateralism for the conduct of international relations, as well as of the need for democratisation of the UN, UNSC, and other multilateral fora and interaction. On Iraq, Tanzania opposed the unilateral action.

Like on most other issues, Tanzania has been with the mainstream global consensus against all forms of terrorism. Tanzania itself suffered from terrorism when in 1998 the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam was the scene of a bomb attack, killing several Tanzanians and others. Tanzania’s support for the international efforts against terrorism after the 11th September attacks has been unequivocal. President Mkapa sent a prompt message of sympathy and support to India after the terrorist attack on the Parliament in New Delhi.

India is the only South Asian country with a diplomatic mission in Dar es Salaam. Bangladesh has an honorary Consul General. There are some 50 resident diplomatic missions in Dar es Salaam; and 5 countries, including India, have Consulates in Zanzibar.

Tanzania’s Foreign Minister is Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, and Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Abulkadir Shareef.