TANZANIA-SAUDI YOUTHS WRITE TO PRESIDENT KIKWETE AND KING ABDULAZIZ

Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hon. Lazaro Nyalandu (second right) during the closing ceremony of the Tanzania Saudi Youth Dialogue Forum in Arusha recently. Others in the picture from left are Director of Tourism and Marketing of TANAPA Ibrahim Mussa, Director General of TANAPA Allan Kijazi and Saudi Arabia Ambasador in Tanzania Hani Mominah.

Tanzania-Saudi Youth Dialogue Forum participants have agreed to deliver special messages on issues of biodiversity conservation to both the President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E Jakaya Kikwete and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

This was said recently during the closing ceremony of the Tanzania-Saudi Youth Forum, which was officiated by the Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Honorable Lazaro Nyalandu.

The letters from Bilateral Youth Group was read during the closing ceremony by Ms Rayan Hejles-Fir from Saudi Arabia and her Tanzanian counterpart, Hans Cosmas-Ngoteya, while another dispatch from the ‘Multilateral Youth Group was read by Ms Zainab Abdallah from Tanzania and Ms Haifa Al Bassam from Saudia.

The first ever two-state Youth Dialogue Forum on matters of biodiversity was hosted by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) under the main theme of "Construction and implementation of the regulatory framework for biodiversity conservation."

“The youth also toured Arusha, Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and Mweka College of Wildlife, enjoying the opportunity of interacting and discussing the future of biodiversity conservation in the two countries,’’ stated Allan Kijazi, the Director General for TANAPA.

Kijazi lauded Saudi-Arabia for selecting Tanzania to be the first country in hosting the forum assuring that positive outcomes should be expected from the dialogues, adding that TANAPA intends to organize similar dialogues with other countries in future.

Kijazi said TANAPA being the custodian of the country's 16 National Parks, felt proud to host the international dialogue and used the occasion to request the Saudi government to assist Tanzania in the war against poaching. 

The Minister for Natural resources and Tourism Mr Lazaro Nyalandu said the Saudi team which also placed high priority on religion and spiritual development of the mind, must have felt at home in the well-conserved parts of Tanzania maintaining their original profiles since creation.

The Saudi Princess Haifa Bint Abdul Aziz who visited the country last month and happens to be the coordinator of the forum, said the forum was taking place for the first time in Africa and Tanzania was chosen to host it due to its historical background and commitment to protecting wildlife and natural resources supported by peace and security prevailing in the country.