WASHINGTON (Reuters)

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday congratulated Tanzania’s new president Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first woman to hold that office, and said the United States was ready to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Harris, the first woman and first person of colour to serve as U.S. vice president, made the comment in a posting on Twitter.

“Sending best wishes to @SuluhuSamia following her swearing in as Tanzania’s new President – the first woman to hold the office. The United States stands ready to work with you to strengthen relations between our countries,” she wrote.

Hassan, who had been vice president since 2015, on Friday urged the country to unite and avoid pointing fingers after the death of John Magufuli, her COVID-19 sceptic predecessor.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office is leading U.S. efforts to forge a new trade and investment partnership with the East African Community, a regional organisation that includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Total trade between the two countries was US$462 million in 2019. U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania was US$1.5 billion in 2019, a 5.2 per cent increase from 2018, according to U.S. government data.