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.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.