Tunisia: First Consultative Meeting Between Presidents of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya Concludes [upd 1]
Tunis — The first consultative meeting between Tunisian President Kais Saied, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and President of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed Younes al-Manfi concluded in Tunis on Monday.
Protecting common borders from threats, facilitating the movement of people and goods, boosting intra-trade and establishing joint economic zones between the three countries were the main results of this first consultative meeting between the leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, read out the declaration of the Tunis Consultative Summit of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, according to a video released by the presidency.
The three leaders agreed to “form joint working groups to coordinate efforts to protect the security of common borders from the risks and consequences of irregular migration and other manifestations of organised crime, and to develop a participatory development approach to develop these areas,” the declaration said.
This is in light of the “challenges and threats faced by the three countries as a result of the ongoing changes in the region and the world and to strengthen various aspects of cooperation and activate joint efforts to enhance the capacity of their peoples to face the consequences of the global economic crisis, particularly in the areas of food, water and energy security”.
They also agreed to “work towards unifying positions and discourse in dealing with the various countries affected by the phenomenon of irregular migration in the northern Mediterranean and sub-Saharan countries”.
The leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya also agreed to “form a joint working group to formulate mechanisms to establish joint major projects and investments in priority areas and sectors. These include grain and fodder production, seawater desalination and other projects and cooperation programmes to achieve water and food security for the three countries, including accelerating the activation of the joint mechanism for the exploitation of shared groundwater in the northern Sahara”.
They also agreed to accelerate the implementation of the electricity interconnection project between Tunisia, Libya and Algeria, and to develop cooperation and partnerships in the fields of exploration, production and storage of oil resources, mining, renewable and clean energies such as green hydrogen.
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The three Presidents also agreed to overcome the difficulties hindering the flow of goods and merchandise between the three countries, to explore ways to promote intra-trade and to establish joint free trade zones.
They also agreed to accelerate measures to facilitate the movement of people and goods, in particular through the development of road and rail networks and the establishment of a regular maritime link between the three countries.
It was also agreed to develop action programmes to promote the various aspects of the common cultural heritage, to strengthen cooperation in the fields of scientific research, vocational training, modern technologies, student and youth exchanges, and to encourage the production of joint cultural and educational programmes.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to designate “contact points” from each country to follow up on the implementation of the agreements reached, in preparation for the next consultative meeting, the date and venue of which will be determined by agreement between the leaders of the three countries.
Algerian President Tebboune and Libyan President Al-Manfi arrived in Tunisia on Monday at the invitation of President Kais Saied, who had announced during his participation in the seventh summit of the Gas Exporting Countries during his participation in the seventh summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Algeria on March 2 that Tunisia would host a trilateral meeting between Tunisia, Algeria and Libya
