Tunis – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud on Tuesday co-chaired in Tunis, the 4th session of the Tunisian-Saudi Political Consultation and Follow-up Commission.

They reaffirmed the strength of the fraternal relations and cooperation binding the two countries, stressing the need to consolidate the tradition of joint consultation and coordination at all levels and on all issues of mutual concern.

In his opening remarks, the Tunisian Foreign Minister commended the strong and deeply rooted ties between Tunisia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, describing them as a model for Arab and Islamic nations, recalling together with his Saudi counterpart, the main milestones of partnership and bilateral cooperation spanning more than seven decades.

He added that today’s visit of his Saudi counterpart to Tunis is a new building block in the edifice of solid cooperation built by both countries’ leaderships, from late King Abdulaziz Al Saud and President Habib Bourguiba to the present-day Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his Crown Prince, who maintain strong relations with the President of the Republic.

The FM underlined the need to instil the traditions of political consultation in future generations of diplomats to ensure continuity in building and serving the common interests of both nations, explaining that the commission’s agenda includes an ambitious programme based on mutual trust and shared political will to further boost bilateral cooperation in economic, technical, and investment fields, where Tunisian and Saudi expertise converge to produce promising development projects.

Nafti pointed out that Tunisia has embarked on a new phase of nation-building, relying firstly on its own capacities and secondly on close cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries, foremost among them the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “Tunisia welcomes its Saudi brothers to develop cooperation programmes and investment opportunities,” he said.

The Foreign Minister also commended the commitment of both countries’ leaderships to maintaining bilateral coordination and consultation, which contributes to strengthening the foundations of security and stability in the Arab and Islamic world, and globally, showing their noble determination as two nations working for peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

The Saudi Foreign Minister for his part, praised the strong long-standing relations binding the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Tunisia in various fields, and the determination of his country’s leadership to further foster them and support everything that would contribute to Tunisia’s security and prosperity.

He indicated that the session aims to deepen consultation and coordinate positions between the two countries regarding the main regional and international issues and challenges, commending Tunisia’s support for the Kingdom within international organisations and forums on regional and international matters of concern to Saudi Arabia, as well as the level of bilateral visits and signed agreements, which testify to the close and distinguished relation between the two countries.

He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for all efforts to reinforce joint Arab action based on the principle of joint interests and the achievement of development goals, and its support for regional and international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms, affirming the commitment of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia to adopting clear policies that encourage peaceful solutions and promote joint action to achieve peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond.

The Saudi Foreign Minister also presented figures on Tunisian-Saudi cooperation, noting that around 27,000 Tunisians reside in the Kingdom, that bilateral trade volume had risen in 2024 to USD 417 million, with Saudi exports to Tunisia amounting to USD 328 million and Tunisian exports to the Kingdom reaching about USD 88 million, describing the latter figure as good but below expectations.

He stressed the need to continue bilateral consultation and coordination at all levels and on all issues of common concern, and the need to further boost joint action in service of the two countries' mutual interests, reiterating his country’s belief in the potential of the Arab region and in the importance of supporting development projects to promote growth across the region.

At the conclusion of the session, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on cooperation in diplomatic training between the Tunisian International Diplomatic Academy and the Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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