President Kikwete discusses the North-West Grid Project with Chinese experts

H.E. President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania in a bilateral meeting with Mr. Sun Bai, Chairman of China National Machinery & Equipment Corporation (CMEC), to discuss further cooperation for the North-West Grid Project.  The meeting took place yesterday at the Hilton Colombo Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  President Kikwete is in Sri Lanka participating in this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was officially inaugurated today. 

Listening to the President discussion is Ambassador John William Herbert Kijazi (left) High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania in India with accreditation to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Dr. Phillip Mpango (center), the Executive Secretary in the President's Office, Planning Commission and Ms. Julieth Kairuki (left), Director General of the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC). 

The CMEC has been in talks with the Government of Tanzania investment ventures for the construction of the North-West Grid Power Transmission Project and the 300MW gas processing plant and transmission lines. 

Also in the meeting were Government Officials from the Tanzania State House, including Chief of Protocol Ambassador Mohammed Maharage Juma (right) and Ambassador Mbelwa Kairuki (left), Director of the Department of Asia and Australasia, both from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. 

President Kikwete continues with discussion with the team from CMEC that was led by Mr. Sun Bai.  CMEC is a key subsidiary under the Sinomach Group and was established in 1978 at the dawn of China’s reform and opening-up period.   Its foreign aid by CMEC to African countries can be dated back to the inception of the company in the 1970s when CMEC aided the construction of a Farming Tool Factory in Tanzania, the Guinea Mamou Farming Tool Factory and the Zaire Kinshasa Farming Tool Factory. In the 1990s CMEC launched exports of complete sets of equipment and began contracting large engineering projects in Africa.

All photos by Tagie Daisy Mwakawago