Day: June 9, 2023

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FM Nabil Ammar holds talks with Rwandan counterpart in Lusaka

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, met with his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta in Lusaka. Nabil Ammar was leading the Tunisian delegation to the 22nd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), hosted by the Zambian capital, from June 6 to 8.

The meeting discussed the bilateral relations and means to strengthen and develop them in a way that achieves the common interest, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release Friday.

The two Ministers highlighted the privileged relations of bilateral cooperation, particularly on the economic front, referring to the development projects implemented by Tunisian companies in Rwanda, such as the rural electrification project undertaken by the Tunisian Electricity and Gas International Company (STEG International Services), worth around 150 million dollars.

On the other hand, the ministers agreed on the need to organise the first meeting of the Joint Commission in order to establish a legal framework to regulate bilateral relations and thus facilitate the exploration of new avenues of cooperation in various areas of common interest.

In this regard, they discussed the possibility of convening joint sector-based committees that would accelerate the pace of trade and economic exchange, particularly in the fields of energy, agriculture, tourism, health and banking.

Finally, the two ministers exchanged invitations for work visits to the two countries and agreed to intensify meetings between businesspersons and organise business forums.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Recent rains beneficial for agricultural production (Minister of Agriculture)

Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati said on Friday that recent rainfall had been beneficial for agricultural production.

Kicking off the harvest campaign in Bizerte, the Minister stressed the importance of diversifying crops in order to cope with climate change and improve productivity.

He also pointed out that efforts were being made to strengthen the field crops sector, by implementing measures such as putting scientific research in the service of this sector.

Visiting the cereal collection centre in Menzel Bourguiba, the Minister stressed the need to upgrade harvesting equipment so as to reduce post-harvest losses.

According to data from the regional agriculture authority, 99,000 hectares of land have been planted. This includes 81,000 hectares of durum wheat, 6,000 hectares of soft wheat, 10,000 hectares of barley and 2,000 hectares of triticale. Cereal production is expected to be around 1.5 million quintals.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Handicraft export revenues reach over 350 MD in 2022 (Tourism Minister)

The export earnings of handicrafts have reached more than 350 million dinars in 2022, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mohamed Moez Belhassine said Friday in Kairouan, adding that this is a first.

In a statement to TAP on the sidelines of the regular meeting of local delegates of the National Handicrafts Office (ONA), the Minister said that the sector's indicators have improved.

The sector contributes 5% of GDP and employs around 350,000 people. It generates 6,000 jobs a year.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the importance of implementing the measures taken in favour of the handicraft sector, which were announced at a cabinet meeting held on March 23.

The participants also considered it essential to support young entrepreneurs in the social economy sector, facilitate administrative procedures and promote corporate citizenship.

They also called for the provision of raw materials and easier access to finance.

The meeting of the ONA's regional commissioners was an opportunity to review the activities and programmes organised by the Office's various regional delegations during 2022 and the first quarter of 2023, as well as the promotional programme for 2023, whether on a national, regional or international scale.

For his part, Faouzi Ben Halima, Managing Director of the ONA, pointed out that this meeting was an opportunity to monitor progress in the implementation of the Office's programmes at the regional level, to define appropriate solutions to problems and to examine the means to be implemented for the launch of actions programmed for the medium term, from now until 2025.

The Minister also visited workshops specialising in the manufacture of chased copper articles, and heard the concerns of craftsmen in this field. He then visited a sales and exhibition point for carpets and other handicrafts.

Belhassine also enquired about the "Easy Export" pilot project, which aims to facilitate the export of craft products via the Tunisian Post Office network.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Third body retrieved after helicopter crashes into sea (MoD)

A third body was retrieved on Friday after a missing helicopter crashed into the sea on Wednesday night in Cap Serrat, Bizerte, the Defence Ministry said. Search operations are still underway.

Two bodies were recovered on Thursday, the ministry said, in addition to plane debris.

Contact was lost with the four-member crew who departed on a night flight on Wednesday.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse