CAIRO, Egypt – Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri, who chaired the opening of the 18th session of the Tunisian-Egyptian Joint High Commission on Thursday, along with her Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Kamal Madbouly in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, said Tunisia aspires for trade between Tunisia and Egypt to reach one billion US dollars over the next five years.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of speeding up the establishment of a mechanism to implement the memorandum of understanding on mutual recognition of conformity certificates, agreed upon during the meetings of the joint trade and industry committee.

She expressed hope that the next meeting of the joint working group, scheduled to be held in Tunisia in November 2025, would serve as an opportunity to finalise this mechanism.

She noted that investment levels between Tunisia and Egypt remain below expectations, with Egyptian investments in Tunisia amounting to only USD 3.45 million, compared to nearly USD 156 million for Tunisian investments in Egypt, despite the advantages available in both countries.

She recalled that total trade between the two countries did not exceed USD 450 million in 2024, while in the first seven months of the current year it amounted to around USD 245 million only, figures she described as “very modest, below expectations, and not reflective of the potential and opportunities available in both countries.”

The Prime Minister underlined that the reality of cooperation between Tunisia and Egypt requires efforts to overcome obstacles and set out a practical plan with clear objectives and precise deadlines in order to achieve the desired goals, with the involvement of all sectors and business stakeholders in both countries.

She called for the implementation of the various recommendations arising from the meetings of the technical and sectoral committees, including those specialised in maritime transport, industry, electricity, agriculture, water and environmental resources, higher education, and scientific research, particularly the joint trade and industry committee, which met in Tunis on April 15 and 16, 2025, after a six-year hiatus.

She pointed out that this session represents an important milestone to present what has been achieved so far and to address some of the difficulties raised, in order to move towards a higher stage of accomplishment and turn challenges into genuine opportunities for cooperation and partnership based on mutual benefit and shared interest.

The Premier also highlighted the key role of the private sector in boosting economic cooperation and investment relations between the two countries, through increased exchanges of visits and expertise, and investment in vital sectors with high employment value, such as renewable energy, technical textiles, pharmaceutical industries, and artificial intelligence.

She stressed that joint membership in more than one economic area creates genuine opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, noting that effective use of their membership in both the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could enable them to launch joint projects in Africa in several areas such as agriculture, food processing, and the textile industry.

On another note, the Prime Minister affirmed that the peoples of the region cannot enjoy peace and security without a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian cause, through ending the Zionist occupation, which is rejected by all conventions.

She reiterated Tunisia’s firm and unwavering position in support of the Palestinian people’s right to recover every inch of their usurped land and establish their fully sovereign, independent state across all of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

She stated that Tunisia, in line with the vision of President Kais Saied, underscores the advent of the dawn of a new era in the world, that of human legitimacy, particularly as peoples have begun to share the same values and aspire to a new world built on justice, where rights are restored to their rightful owners, both individuals and nations, first and foremost the Palestinian people.

She emphasised the importance of advancing the implementation of Egypt’s plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, announced during the emergency Arab summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025, praising Egypt’s role in supporting the Palestinian cause as well as its vital role and tireless efforts to halt the war on Gaza.

For his part, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly underscored the importance of boosting joint investments and encouraging business leaders in Tunisia and Egypt to establish joint strategic partnerships and investments across promising sectors.

He pointed to the progress achieved by the Tunisian economy in recent times, expressing Egypt’s hope that Tunisia will achieve further prosperity in the coming period, in line with the aspirations of the Tunisian people and in support of the desired development renaissance.

Madbouly also expressed his hope to broaden the frameworks of cooperation between Tunisia and Egypt across various economic and social fields, so that they rise to the level of the strong political relations between the two countries, highlighting the importance of exchanging information on future investment opportunities and developing joint investments.

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