Day: July 2, 2024

Tunis: Although Tunisia’s greenhouse gas emissions remain very low or practically non-existent, it is one of the Mediterranean countries most affected by the consequences of the greenhouse effect, said Minister of National Defence, Imed Memmich.

He added that this situation calls for a comprehensive and urgent national strategy to combat the effects of greenhouse gases, the main consequence of climate change.

This strategy should limit the impact of greenhouse gases on national security in its economic and social dimensions in the short, medium and long term, he stressed.

To achieve this, «we need to build the capacity of all stakeholders and work towards food, water, energy and environmental security,» he pointed out.

It is also necessary to strengthen scientific research, improve technological capacities and develop cooperation for the transfer of technologies related to climate change.

The minister was speaking on Tuesday at the Bortal Hayder military base during the graduation ceremony of the 41st cl
ass of the National Defence Institute, themed “A comprehensive national approach to combating the consequences of climate change on national security in its economic and social dimensions”.

He also noted that climate change is having a direct impact on developing countries, with worsening droughts, poorer harvests, increased risk of flooding, and increased migration and population displacement.

The direct effects of climate change pose a real threat to the national security of the countries most exposed to these risks, the Minister said.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: President Kais Saied decided on Tuesday to relieve Ahmed Soula, CEO of the National Water Exploitation and Distribution Company (SONEDE), of his duties, the Presidency said in a brief statement.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: President Kais Saied, on Tuesday, July 2, issued a writ for the presidential elections scheduled for Sunday, October 6, 2024, the Presidency said.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, signed eight cooperation agreements at the end of the eighth session of the Tunisia-Burkina Faso Joint Commission held in Ouagadougou on July 1 and 2.

These agreements cover investment, industry, tourism, crafts, vocational training, the family, women, children, the elderly, youth and sport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The two ministers praised the results of the Commission’s work and considered that they will contribute to enriching the legal framework between the two countries and open up new and promising opportunities for fruitful cooperation between them.

Nabil Ammar praised the fruitful meetings he had with the President of Burkina Faso and a number of senior Burkina Faso officials.

He said that both sides are keen to further strengthen bilater
al cooperation in various fields, in line with the will of the political leadership of both countries.

He welcomed the organisation of the Tunisia-Burkina Faso Business Forum, its results and the significant participation of both sides in its work.

The Minister stressed the need for the international community and influential countries to assume their responsibilities in order to stop the war of annihilation against the defenceless Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and restore all their rights to all their lands.

For his part, the Burkina Faso minister welcomed the visit of the Tunisian delegation, stressing the Tunisian side’s keenness to develop various aspects of cooperation with his country, which is keen to benefit from Tunisia’s successful experiences and expertise.

He also highlighted the need to work together to follow up and activate the results of the Joint Commission and the Business Forum.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Secretary General of the Labour and Achievement Party, Abdellatif Mekki, has received a summons to appear before the investigating judge on July 12, in connection with the case of the late Jilani Daboussi, the party announced in a press release.

Abdellatif Mekki, a former leader of the Ennahda movement, served as Minister of Health between 2011 and 2014, during the governments of Hamadi Jebali and Ali Larayedh, coinciding with the period of Jilani Daboussi’s death.

Daboussi, a businessman and former member of parliament, died of kidney failure on May 8, 2014, shortly after his release from prison.

He had been arrested on October 8, 2011 and detained in Jendouba on charges of fraud and embezzlement.

The Labour and Achievement Party said it hoped that the charges against its president “are not a malicious act or a reaction to his presidential candidacy, part of a systematic effort to fabricate cases against opponents, especially potential candidates”.

The party reiterated its “commitment to transpar
ency and justice” and called on the judiciary to “examine this case objectively and impartially”.

On June 20, the Tunis Court of First Instance issued a detention order for Ennahdha leader Noureddine Bhiri in connection with the Jilani Dabbousi case.

Detention warrants were also issued in the same case for Mondher Ounissi, Ennahdha’s interim president and a former judicial official and prison doctor.

Those involved in the investigation of Jilani Dabbousi’s death have been charged with premeditated murder, pending further investigation of the case.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Burkina Faso’s Minister of Infrastructure and Opening Up, Adama Luc Sorgho, expressed his deep appreciation for the efficiency and expertise of Tunisian companies operating in the infrastructure sector, such as “Soroubat”, during his meeting on Tuesday with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar.

According to a foreign ministry statement, the Burkinabe minister praised the quality of the work and services provided by these companies in Burkina Faso.

He highlighted their role in the implementation of social and development projects.

“This is an exemplary model of productive cooperation that should be built on and developed in view of the promising prospects for infrastructure development in Burkina Faso.”

The Burkinabe Minister stressed his country’s need to further benefit from Tunisia’s expertise and capabilities in infrastructure and construction, pointing to major upcoming projects in roads, bridges, canals and other sectors.

He expressed his country’s readines
s to support the presence of Tunisian companies by providing all the necessary facilities.

For his part, Minister Nabil Ammar expressed Tunisia’s satisfaction with the current state of cooperation between the two countries in the infrastructure sector, and expressed his desire for further development in light of the expertise of Tunisian companies, which are renowned throughout Africa for their excellence.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, said that the Forum of Tunisian Experts Abroad, which will be held in Tunis on August 6 and 7, will be an opportunity for this segment to express their concerns, present their proposals and visions in order to improve communication between them and contribute to Tunisia’s development efforts.

During a meeting with members of the Tunisian community living in Burkina Faso, Nabil Ammar said that work was underway to set up a modern facility to develop consular services in line with the requirements and needs of the Tunisian community abroad.

This will be done by digitising the administration, simplifying administrative procedures and reducing the time taken to obtain consular services, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also recalled the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in looking after the community by giving it the utmost importance, maintaining communication with it and following up on its
concerns.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Irregular migration and the importance of establishing a joint mechanism to mitigate the social, security and economic impact of this phenomenon were among the key points discussed on Tuesday between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, and President of the Transitional Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso, Ousmane Bougouma.

During a meeting in Ouagadougou, Nabil Ammar expressed Tunisia’s readiness for consultation, cooperation and coordination with all stakeholders involved in the issue of irregular migration, within the framework of a joint and comprehensive approach aimed at urgently tackling the root causes of this phenomenon, while respecting national and international laws and regulations.

He stressed that Burkinabé citizens residing in Tunisia for higher education or vocational training enjoy a good reputation and are highly valued by the Tunisian authorities, according to a press release issued by the Ministry.

On the other hand, the meeting was an opport
unity to reiterate Tunisia’s consistent position calling for respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

The Minister expressed Tunisia’s solidarity and unequivocal support for Burkina Faso, its government and its people in their fight against terrorism.

He conveyed Tunisia’s commitment to developing cooperation in various fields in order to raise it to the level of the historical relations between the two countries, for decades.

The FM expressed Tunisia’s willingness to establish parliamentary cooperation with Burkina Faso and proposed the creation of a parliamentary friendship group between the two countries in this context.

In another context, Nabil Ammar reiterated Tunisia’s firm and principled position on the just Palestinian cause, stressing the responsibility of the international community towards the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

This meeting is part of the working visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Burkina Faso on July 1 and 2, heading the Tunisi
an delegation to the eighth session of the Tunisia-Burkina Faso Joint Commission.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The Tunisian consulate in the Italian city of Bologna was inaugurated Tuesday at a ceremony presided over by Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mounir Ben Rjiba, in accordance with a decision by the President of the Republic.

At the beginning of the inauguration ceremony, the national flag was hoisted over the consulate’s headquarters, before the Secretary of State gave the signal for the start of the consulate’s operations and the provision of services to members of the Tunisian community residing at the Tunisian consulate in Bologna.

Bologna is part of the Emilia-Romagna region in north-western Italy, where more than 40,000 Tunisians live.

The establishment of this consulate will enable the Tunisian community to avoid the inconvenience of travelling hundreds of kilometres to the Tunisian consulates in Genoa and Rome, in addition to exploring and promoting opportunities for Tunisian-Italian decentralised cooperation in various fields with the prov
inces covered by the consulate, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During a meeting with a number of citizens who visited the consulate on its first day of operation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated Tunisia’s willingness to pay more attention to the expatriate community, defend their rights and interests and strengthen consular services.

This is in line with the constant effort to improve the quality of services and bring them closer to the Tunisian community in the best conditions, in recognition of the role assigned to them in supporting national development efforts, he pointed out.

He also highlighted the State’s efforts to further strengthen relations with Tunisian citizens abroad, beyond the delivery of administrative documents, in order to increase confidence in the performance of the diplomatic apparatus and establish constructive cooperation, as one of the priorities of diplomatic and consular work.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the process of im
plementing a package of programmes as part of its plan to digitise consular services, he added.

In this context, he announced that the ministry will organise a national forum for Tunisian experts abroad on August 6 and 7 at the International Diplomatic Academy in Tunis.

He recalled the crucial importance of attracting Tunisian talents abroad and motivating them to serve Tunisia’s interests and participate in the country’s development process.

The Secretary of State also invited them to organise themselves in the long term within influential structures in their countries of residence and to create a bridge of cultural and social communication between Tunisia and their country of residence.

For their part, the members of the community expressed their pride in the opening of the Tunisian consulate in Bologna as an important and long-awaited gain, and appreciated the availability of modern equipment and modern means of work at the consulate’s headquarters.

The opening of the Tunisian consulate in Bologna bri
ngs to six the number of Tunisian consulates in Italy (a consulate general in Milan and five consulates in Rome, Naples, Genoa, Palermo and Bologna).

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Tunisian ambassador in Rome, the Tunisian consul in Bologna, several local officials, Italian businessmen and academics, as well as a number of Tunisian professionals and representatives of Tunisian civil society living in the consular district and a number of members of the consular corps accredited in Bologna.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Cooperation between the Tunisian and Algerian Ministries of the Interior and the determination to continue developing it at the highest level were the focus of a meeting held on Tuesday between the Minister of the Interior, Khaled Nouri, and Algerian Ambassador to Tunisia, Azzouz Baalal.

During the meeting, they also discussed issues of common interest, in particular irregular migration and the development of border areas, in order to serve the interests of the two peoples and reflect the deep and long-standing fraternal relations between the two countries, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary of State for National Security.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Members of the National Council of Regions and Districts Tuesday approved at a plenary session articles 38 to 76 of the draft rules of procedure.

MPs first looked at and adopted Articles 38, 39 and 40 on the Committee of Presidents and Representatives of Districts.

The committee is a consultative body which meets once every three months or each time the need arises.

It is made up of the president of the council, the presidents of committees and the representatives of the five districts.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, who is paying a working visit to Burkina Faso, on Tuesday, visited a project site managed by Société des Routes et Betiments (SOROUBAT), a Tunisian company specialising in the construction of buildings, infrastructure, environmental and industrial projects.

The project involves the construction of a drainage channel to reduce the risk of flooding, which is a major problem in the urban areas of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, according to a statement from the ministry.

During his visit, the FM reviewed the progress of this mega-project and praised SOROUBAT for its high-quality social and state-of-the-art infrastructure projects. He also highlighted the contribution of such initiatives to strengthening Tunisia’s presence abroad and boosting the national economy.

Nabil Ammar also visited “ARVEA”, a Tunisian company producing cosmetics and perfumes, and “DECOGATO”, which specialises in supplying the confectionery industry.

The Foreign
Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to “providing Tunisian investors abroad with the necessary support to ensure the success of their projects”, according to the same source.

He also expressed his ministry’s readiness, along with all diplomatic and consular missions abroad, to offer all support and facilitation in order to strengthen Tunisia’s presence in Africa.

Minister Nabil Ammar is visiting Burkina Faso to co-chair with his Burkinabe counterpart the 8th session of the Tunisian-Burkinabe Joint High Commission.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The plenary session devoted to considering the draft rules of procedure of the National Council of Regions and Districts resumed its work on Tuesday.

The plenary session on Monday passed 37 articles of the draft rules of procedure.

The draft comprises 158 articles divided into 12 chapters, explained council member Haythem Sfar.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The National Council of Regions and Districts adopted Tuesday articles of chapter three of the draft rules of procedure on standing commissions and their competencies. (articles 38 to 67).

Article 41 provides for setting up six standing committees tasked with controlling state budget and development plans with a view to securing balance between regions and districts.

Article 44 defines the composition of each committee. The Committee on Finance and Budget and the Committee on Development and Large-scale Projects will include 12 members each. This in addition to four ten-strong member committees.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse