18 May 2015
ALGIERS, (TAP Correspondent Moufida Ben Touati) - A series of working sessions brought together  Sunday Tunisian and Algerian ministers, as part of a two-day official visit which Prime Minister Habib Essid started Saturday in Algeria at the head of a governmental delegation.

The two sides agreed to:

  • Reactivate the Tunisia-Algeria Joint Commission on Tourism and Handicrafts which will convene next week. 

  • Strengthen co-operation in tourism and handicrafts training.  

  • Develop a new programme to boost tourism and handicrafts co-operation  

  • Devise a joint programme to promote the Tunisia and Algeria destinations by boosting the potential of both countries

  • Consider the possibility of creating a tourist shipping service to increase tourist flows in the two countries     

  • Better insurance and health services   

  • Increase air and land transport between the two countries    

  • Boost co-operation between travel agencies 

  • Encourage investment in tourism  

  • Reinvigorate the Protocol on Co-operation in Handicrafts concluded in 2013  

  • Reactivate the Tunisia-Algeria Committee on Trade.

  • Strengthen security and military coordination between Tunisia and Algeria, particularly as regards borders.

In addition, Tunisia pledged to upgrade services in the ten border crossings.   

The working sessions were attended by Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Selma Elloumi, Trade Minister Ridha, Lahoual and Secretary of State in charge of Security Rafik Chelli.

Algerian Minister of Planning, Tourism and Handicrafts Amar Ghoul, Minister of Commerce Amara Benyounés, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Spatial Planning, Tourism and Handicrafts in Charge of Crafts Aicha Tagabuo as well as Secretary-General of the Interior Ministry Ahmed Adli were also present. 

© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2015