Tunisia - Italy aspires to be a bridge between Tunisia and Europe, Italy's ambassador in Tunis Alessandro Prunas said, adding that his country recognises the role that Tunisia can play as a bridge between Italy and Africa.

In an interview with TAP's TV studio, the diplomat underlined the importance of bilateral partnership in serving the interests of the two countries and their two friendly peoples, pointing out that bilateral relations have existed for several years and are constantly reinforced thanks to close cooperation in various fields.

In this connection, the Italian ambassador drew attention to the recent exchange of visits by senior officials from the two countries, focusing on a number of issues of shared interest.

The diplomat, who handed over his credentials to President Kaies Saied on February 9, 2024, three days after his arrival in Tunis, highlighted the deep-rooted bilateral relations between the two countries, recalling the participation of the President of the Republic in the Italy-Africa summit held in Rome in January 2024.

At that summit, he said, President of the Italian Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni had launched the Mattei Plan for Africa, a plan to mobilise the public and private sectors towards the African continent, in order to establish partnerships between friendly countries.

Italy plans to step up its economic presence in Tunisia

The value of trade between Tunisia and Italy had stood at TND 21 billion by 2024, revealed the dipolomat.

Italy is thus Tunisia's second-largest economic partner, and the second-largest export destination for Tunisian products, he added.

The economic sector is one of the pillars of bilateral cooperation, he indicated, underlining that almost a thousand Italian companies operate in Tunisia, not only in the traditional textile sector but also in other sectors, including agriculture and mechanical engineering.

Italian companies also provide nearly 80,000 direct jobs thanks to the various activities launched in Tunisia, in addition to the number of indirect jobs created, the ambassador recalled.

With regard to the social impact of Italy's actions in Tunisia, Alessandro Prunas pointed to the signing by the two countries' foreign ministers of a political declaration recognising Italy's priority commitment to Tunisia, doubling the financial effort earmarked for development projects carried out in close bilateral collaboration.

The presence of Italian cooperation in Tunisia is historic, the Italian ambassador reiterated, citing the Rejim Maatoug project in south-western Tunisia, which has led to the planting of 2,500 hectares of oases, giving hope to nearly 13,000 people who have been able to access the economic resources generated by these oases, in addition to making an environmental contribution by helping to combat desertification.

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