Egypt, Tunisia Agree to Coordinate over Int'l Affairs

Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden, right, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly shake hands during a joint press conference after their talks in Tunis, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)
Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden, right, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly shake hands during a joint press conference after their talks in Tunis, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)
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Egypt, Tunisia Agree to Coordinate over Int'l Affairs

Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden, right, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly shake hands during a joint press conference after their talks in Tunis, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)
Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden, right, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly shake hands during a joint press conference after their talks in Tunis, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi)

Egypt and Tunisia agreed to coordinate and hold consultations over regional and international developments.

Speaking at the conclusion of the meetings of the 17th session of the Egyptian-Tunisian Joint High Committee on Friday, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Tunisian Prime Minister Najlaa Boudentwo stressed the need to boost coordination in all fields.

The meetings witnessed the signing of a number of agreements on bolstering bilateral ties.

During a press conference with Madbouly, Bouden underscored the role of the private sector in boosting bilateral coordination between Tunis and Cairo, creating partnerships between businessmen and moving towards promising markets, especially in Africa.

She expressed her satisfaction with the level of coordination and consultations between Egypt and Tunisia and the ongoing contacts between their leaderships.

She said she was looking forward to bolstering these ties and coordinating high-level visits by senior officials amid global changes and joint challenges faced by their countries.

She revealed that 11 legal documents were signed during Madbouly's visit, covering international coordination, investment and exports, participation in international exhibitions and markets, financial audit, higher education, agriculture, environment, construction, information technology, communications, and women's affairs.

Moreover, Bouden and Madbouly tackled the Russian war on Ukraine and its impact on grain imports, which demands joint work and exploring new markets.

For his part, the Egyptian PM stressed Egypt's "full support to the Tunisian leadership and its efforts in guiding the country towards stability and prosperity."

He said relations between Egypt and Tunisia are witnessing a "qualitative shift", with both sides agreeing that 2022 and 2023 would be the years of economic cooperation between them.

Talks covered the latest developments in the Palestinian Territories, with both PMs underscoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

They tackled the developments in Libya, expressing their support for intra-Libyan dialogue without foreign meddling and saying it was the only way to reach a solution to the Libyan crisis and holding presidential and parliamentary elections.

Egypt strongly believes in the need for Libyan institutions to assume their responsibilities and for the unification of the military and dismantling of militias, said Madbouly.

Madbouly and Bouden also stressed the need for all foreign forces, mercenaries and fighters to withdraw from Libya within a specified timeframe, in line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the Berlin and Paris conferences.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.