Video: Tanzania delivers presidential message to Putin, scores Moscow invite in Lavrov meet
Abdullateef Fowewe
Tanzanian Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Thabit Kombo has passed a special envoy message from President Samia Suluhu Hassan directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Monday.
Video: Tanzania delivers presidential message to Putin, scores Moscow invite in Lavrov meet
In a diplomatic win, Kombo secured invitations for both himself and President Hassan to visit Moscow, underscoring deepening bilateral relations.
The exchange marks 65 years of Tanzania-Russia ties, dating back to 1961 when the Soviet Union backed Tanzania’s independence struggle.
Kombo proposed ambitious “big bang” celebrations in December, featuring a week-long series of events split between Dar es Salaam and Moscow to honor the milestone.
Video footage from the meeting captured Lavrov’s lighthearted moment, humorously referencing Zanzibar-born rock legend Freddie Mercury—born there in 1946—with a suggestion for a cultural band exchange.
The quip blended diplomacy with shared history, highlighting Russia’s ongoing outreach to African nations amid global tensions.
