Day: March 2, 2024

President Kais Saied expressed at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in Algiers Tunisia's readiness to 'foster the strong ties of brotherhood and cooperation' with Iran. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) hosted by Algerian on March 2. Kais Saied affirmed that Tunisia aspires to develop bilateral relations with Iran in various fields, in particular the economy and trade. He stressed the importance of identifying opportunities for exchange and partnership, and of continuing the tradition of consultation and coordination established between the two countries. The President of the Republic also underscored the importance of increasing the exchange of visits at the highest level, in the interests of the two brotherly peoples. He recalled Tunisia's firm position in favour of the Palestinian cause, stressing that Palestinian rights are inalienable. Tunisia supports the Palestinian people in thei r struggle to establish an independent State with Al-Quds as its capital, he insisted. For his part, the Iranian President affirmed his country's desire to consolidate its relations with Tunisia and to intensify the exchange of experience and expertise in various fields. Ebrahim Raisi extended an invitation to the President of the Republic to visit Teheran. For his part, Kais Saied invited the Iranian President to pay a visit to Tunisia. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

President of the republic Kais Saied and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani agreed to convene the high joint commission as soon as possible in Doha. This was as they met Saturday on the sidelines of the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Algiers. The commission, they said, is the adequate framework to carry out investment projects in a wide array of fields, increase the pace of trade and cultural exchange and give impetus to the hire of Tunisian labour and qualified workforce. The President and the Emir of Qatar also agreed to exchange visits shortly to consolidate the tradition of consultation and coordination. Tunisia is keen to keep on working in concert with Qatar to strengthen ties and the privileged partnership, in the service of both peoples. "There is a real will and strong determination to scale up relations," the President was quoted as saying in a Presidency press release "out of the conviction there are promising opportunities of partnership and investment." Tunisia is unwaveringly committed to the Palestinian cause, President Saied said in another connection. Tunisia, he added, stands in full solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle to recover their legitimate right to establish their state across all the Palestinian territories with Al-Quds as capital. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hailed the strong ties binding Tunisia and Qatar and said his country will continue to support Tunisia's economy through investments and development projects. He also said the size of Tunisian labour force in Qatar has doubled and praised "the highly qualified Tunisian workforce " for their role in the country. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

President Kais Saied said he will meet his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Saturday evening, adding that a Tunisian-Algerian-Libyan trilateral meeting with President of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi will be hosted by Tunisia later. Speaking to reporters at his residence in the Algerian capital after the conclusion of the 7th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), President Saied said that his meetings with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani "provided opportunities to underline Tunisia's firm position on the Palestinian issue and the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. He stressed that the issue concerns not only the Gaza Strip but the whole of Palestine, pointing out that the Palestinian people are facing the most heinous crimes of killing, starvation and displacement of children and women. The number of marty rs has risen to thirty thousand, not counting the wounded and injured, "to almost a third of the number of people killed in Hiroshima," he said. He added that the humanitarian community is today far ahead of the traditional international community, as embodied in the demonstrations in Western capitals and all over the world, denouncing this barbaric and brutal Zionist aggression and demanding freedom for Palestine. The President stressed "the need for the matter of the Palestinian right to take its natural course according to the norms and laws of the earth and the sky". During these meetings, the President of the Republic also discussed the economic relations between the two countries, particularly with a view to overcoming the difficulties related to a number of projects in Tunisia. In this regard, President Kais Saied said that there are projects that have been disrupted from Tunisia and that there are those who want to disrupt them to this day. He said: "Anyone who wants to disrupt or delay these pro jects or fall into the arms of the lobbies that are moving from behind the curtain to take over the wealth of the Tunisian people will bear full responsibility, wherever they are". The president added: "I will personally take care of a number of files so that these people do not infiltrate them, as colonialism has infiltrated some minds," he said. On the other hand, he explained that his participation as a guest of honour at this summit falls within the framework of the Forum, but also within the framework of "special relations with the brothers in Algeria". He pointed out that today there is a new concept regarding gas and how each country should exercise its full sovereignty over its national wealth. "This participation is also part of the relationship we have with Algeria, which is a fraternal relationship... We are united by a common history and a common will to move forward in a common construction for the sake of a single goal, which is to ensure the happiness of the people of Tunisia and Algeria," h e said. The President of the Republic ended his visit to Algeria on Saturday evening. He was there at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to be the guest of honour at the 7th Summit of GECF, which was attended by several Heads of State and Government, including the Iranian President, the Iraqi President and the Emir of Qatar, in addition to the high-level presence of member states and observers of the Forum, which was founded in Tehran in 2001. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) announced at a press conference on Saturday the composition of the 24 regional councils by lot in all governorates. The draw took place under the supervision of several members of the authority's board and officials from its local bodies. ISIE President Farouk Bouasker said that the sortition process was "highly successful and transparent" and that the minutes drawn up for the purpose were duly approved by the Authority's Board. He also announced that 279 local councils held their inaugural meetings on Friday, chaired by the elected member who received the most votes. Bouasker had told reporters previously said that the final composition will be announced on Saturday evening at the end of the meeting of the ISIE Board, which will validate the minutes of the draw before summoning the members of the regional councils to take up their duties in the various governorates next Wednesday. The President of the ISIE added that the last and final stage would be t he election of the members of the district councils and the national council from among the members of the officially announced regional councils. He also pointed out that members of the regional council could not also be members of local councils. To avoid this impossible situation, Bouaskar proposed applying the rule of alternation to the mandate of member of the regional council of the governorate every three months by drawing lots. Speaking about the legal provisions governing regional councils, the President of the ISIE pointed out that the chapter of the Local Communities Code relating to regional councils includes a legal text that is still in force and applicable to regional councils. This text, added the President of the ISIE, has the merit of respecting both the letter and the spirit of Decree-Law No. 10 and can thereby offer alternatives to the problems of the division of responsibilities, pending a later amendment. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse