Dr. Aziz Ponary Mlima

Dr Aziz Ponary Mlima is a Tanzanian Diplomat, who served as the Permanent Secretary (PS) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East Africa Community (31st December 2015 to 27th October 2017), during his tenure as the PS, he oversaw the merger of the two ministries one responsible for Foreign Affairs and another responsible for East African Cooperation. 

As the Permanent Secretary he was in-charge of opening six new diplomatic Missions (Ankara-Turkey, Algiers-Algeria, Khartoum- Sudan, Tel Aviv-Israel, Doha-Qatar, and Seoul-South Korea).

In his many other roles, Ambassador Mlima served as the Chairman of various committees including: 

1. National Oversight Committee of Trademark East Africa; (2016-2017)
2. Chairman of Committee of Permanent Secretaries and Director Generals of SADC Organ of Politics, Defense and Security (2017)
3. Chairman of the Committee of Permanent and Principal Secretaries of East African Community. (2016).

Prior to the appointment as a Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Mlima was the High Commissioner the Kingdom of Federation of Malaysia, Brunei, and Ambassador to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia between 2013-2015.

Dr. Mlima worked under Former President Benjamin Mkapa as his Personal Assistant for 8 years from December 2005 to December 2013 when he was appointed as Ambassador and High Commissioner to Malaysia.

Ambassador Dr Aziz Ponary Mlima represented the United Republic of Tanzania to the Republic of Uganda as High Commissioner and Ambassador from 2018 to 2023.

Dr. Aziz P. Mlima has a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in Economics from Gothenburg University in Sweden.