Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has met Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary-General Anda Cristina Filip in Dodoma ahead of the 153rd IPU Assembly, which Tanzania is scheduled to host in Arusha next week.
President Samia held the meeting with Filip on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Chamwino State House in Dodoma, according to a statement issued by the President’s Office.
The meeting focused on cooperation between Tanzania and the IPU ahead of the organisation’s 153rd Assembly, which will take place at the Arusha International Conference Centre from October 5 to 9.
Tanzania will host the IPU Assembly for the first time. The gathering is expected to bring together parliamentary delegations from the union’s 183 member parliaments.
The meeting between President Samia and Filip comes as preparations for the international parliamentary gathering enter their final stage. Arusha Regional Commissioner Amos Makalla said on October 1 that preparations had been completed, with security among the authorities’ priorities for the event.
Filip had earlier said the IPU was satisfied with the preparations for the assembly after meeting Makalla in Arusha. She said more than 2,000 participants were expected to attend, including speakers from parliaments around the world.
The assembly will provide a platform for parliamentarians to discuss issues affecting international parliamentary cooperation and governance. The official host programme lists the theme of the 153rd Assembly as “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all.”
The upcoming gathering will also mark the end of the current three-year term of IPU President Tulia Ackson, the Tanzanian parliamentarian who has led the organisation since 2023. A new IPU president is expected to be elected during the assembly.
Ackson has highlighted greater participation of women and young people in parliamentary decision-making, institutional reforms and stronger parliamentary diplomacy among the priorities and developments during her presidency.
The arrival of senior IPU officials in Tanzania ahead of the assembly comes as the country prepares to welcome parliamentary leaders and delegates from across the world to Arusha. The event is expected to run from October 5 through October 9.
