Tunisia and UAE relations move forward
Tunisian President Kais Saied and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation met at the Carthage Palace in Tunis with the intention of strengthening relations between the two countries.
The meeting took place in the north African country’s city of Tunis on August 4, where President Saied welcomed Emirati minister Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan al-Nahyan at the Presidential palace. The meeting carried an indication of the United Arab Emirates’s willingness to support Tunisia and aid the country in overcoming the recent difficult economic situation it has been going through, according to UAE-friendly news outlet, The Arab Weekly, August 4.
During the meeting, the Tunisian Presidency stated that Saied highlighted the importance his country attaches to strengthening relations with the UAE.
Mr. Saied pointed to the solid foundations of promising bilateral relations for partnerships between the two countries in various sectors, including renewable energy, seawater decontamination, health, digital transformation, education and tourism.
The Tunisian President stressed that he would welcome UAE investments in multiple fields in Tunisia and all difficulties that may prevent this will be quashed.
Sheikh Shakhboot echoed Kais Saied’s words, noting that the United Arab Emirates supporting Tunisia in various areas would give the North African country a huge boost.
He said the delegation accompanying him on the visit will undertake coordination with Tunisian authorities and work to identify collective projects in various fields with the intention of implementing them in due course.
Tunisia has been reaching out to Arab Gulf nations for sorely needed financial aid and the Tunisian President is betting on his solid relationship with the UAE President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The UAE President who has regularly expressed his support for Tunisia, especially during a meeting with Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar in the Arab Gulf country’s city of Abu Dhabi.
Earlier in May, Tunisia invited UAE investors to attend the country’s international investment forum in early November as Tunisia’ authorities are seeking around $2 billion to add to the national budget.
Tunisia is facing economic turmoil due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The country is currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $1.9-billion loan to supplement the national budget which is $2 billion dollars in debt.
Saied recently sacked Prime Minister Najla Bouden as many speculated that this move was due to Tunisia’s government being incapable of solving various economic and social issues.
THE ARAB WEEKLY
