Tunisia's President Kais Saied on Thursday ordered the border with Libya, which had been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, to reopen on Friday after meetings between health officials from the two countries.
The decision to reopen the border follows a visit last week by Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh to Tunis after growing friction over the border and other issues.
Tunis and Tripoli agreed on a health protocol "subject to revision in light of developments in the health situation in the two countries," the Tunisian statement read.
The reopening would be reviewed in case of any "violation", it added.
Fully vaccinated Tunisian and Libyan travelers presenting a negative PCR test will be able to move freely in both countries, according to Chairman of the Quarantine Committee at the Ministry of Health Mohamed Rabhi.
Rabhi explained that people who are not fully vaccinated will be subject upon arrival to Tunisia to a 10-day mandatory quarantine in several hotels in addition to providing a negative PCR test.
The same conditions apply to the land borders, he added.
Executive Director of the Tunisian-Libyan Cooperation Council Saber Bouguerra said that the decision will be implemented on Friday along with conditions that include receiving two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, a negative PCR test, while the unvaccinated are subject to mandatory quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.
In another context, Dbeibeh received an invitation to attend the conference on peace and security to be held in Rome in December.
The invitation came during a meeting between the Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Government of National Unity, Taher Al-Baour, and Italian Ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Buccino on Wednesday at the office of the prime minister.
