Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as she began a three-day state visit to Moscow. The trip is her first official overseas visit since winning the presidential election last year.

She and her government are facing growing isolation from Western nations following a violent security crackdown after the disputed October elections, in which more than 1,000 people are estimated to have died.

In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to congratulate her after she was declared the winner with 98 percent of the vote.

During their meeting on Wednesday, Putin thanked Hassan for the visit.

“We see this as a very positive sign,” he said. “All these years especially in recent years, when you served as minister, in the government, and as vice president you have consistently worked to strengthen our bilateral relations.”

Putin added that trade ties between the two countries are developing intensively, with bilateral trade turnover rising by 25 percent in 2025.

Hassan is accompanied by a high-level business delegation, as she seeks to finalise new agreements in trade, tourism, and the minerals sector.

The only major concrete joint project currently underway is a planned uranium mine that has been in development for over a decade. Tanzania ranks among Africa’s top five uranium producers.

In response, President Hassan thanked Russia for its historical support of Africa’s liberation movements and expressed readiness to expand bilateral cooperation.

Ties between the two countries have steadily warmed since Hassan took office. In January, the Russia-Tanzania Business Council was established, and last month Air Tanzania announced it would launch direct flights to Moscow by the end of the year.

President Hassan is scheduled to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.