Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis al-Jehinawi has described the upcoming official visit by Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi to Qatar as historic and said that it will be an important stage to elevate the distinguished relations between the two countries.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) in Tunis, he said the visit comes within the framework of a new vision for Tunisia’s relations with the GCC States in general and Qatar in particular.
The Tunisian foreign minister stressed that the visit represents an opportunity to upgrade the relations between Qatar and Tunisia to partnership based on mutual interest.
Al-Jehinawi emphasised that there is a desire of the two countries’ leaderships to develop and promote co-operation to include all fields and sectors in order to be a model in the Arab relations.
He said that Qatar, which was among the first countries to support the Tunisian revolution, has a especial status in Tunisia, where it contributed heavily in supporting the path of development and the process of democratic transition and addressing the great challenge of terrorism.
He also praised Qatar for its contribution to resolve the unemployment issue in Tunisia by conducting various investment projects after the revolution, looking forward for more Qatari investments in Tunisia, especially from the private sector.
He believed that Tunisia has great investment potentials, especially in inland regions, that have the priority in the government’s development programmes, saying that Tunisia is about to issue a new investment law providing significant incentives for investors and businessmen, which will encourage and attract foreign investment, particularly from the GCC countries.
Regarding the trade exchange between the two countries, the Tunisian foreign minister considered that the current level does not reflect the close relationship between Tunisia and Qatar, therefore the two countries will give a new push for trade exchange to meet the aspirations of the two countries’ leaderships.
In contrast, al-Jehinawi said that the two countries have the same visions in the political sphere regarding many regional and international issues of common interest, particularly the situation in Libya, Syria and Yemen.
Regarding Libya, the Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis al-Jehinawi said that Tunisia and Qatar support the government of Libyan national accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj and there is continuous co-ordination between the two sides pertaining to supporting his efforts in establishing security and stability in the country and completing the political process with the participation of all Libyan parties.
He said that the current instability in Libya and the threats of ISIS organisation there have serious implications for Tunisia, citing in this regard the terrorist attack that targeted Ben Guerdane town in southern Tunisia in March, killing about 19 people from military and civilians and about 50 terrorists.
About the Syrian crisis, the Tunisian Foreign Minister affirmed Tunisia and Qatar’s status that there must be a political solution to the crisis, wishing the Geneva negotiations to end the tragedy of the Syrian people success.
He also stressed the identical views between Tunisia and Qatar on other Arab issues, including the crisis in Yemen, hoping that the ongoing negotiations currently being held in Kuwait between the concerned parties will end this crisis.
The Tunisian Foreign Minister said that his country and Qatar have agreed to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue based on the resolutions of the international legitimacy to meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Al-Jehinawi praised the Qatari diplomacy which succeeded in resolving many Arab and regional issues and crises.
He also said that his country rejects any interference of any state in the internal affairs of another state.
He assured the Iranian deputy foreign minister during his recent visit to Tunisia on the need for Iran to have good relations with its neighbours.
He pointed out in this context that Tunisia has a special relationship with the GCC states, as well as good relations with Iran.
Regarding the future of the Arab Maghreb Union that comprises Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, al-Jehinawi said that there is a strong will and efforts to reactivate the Union’s institutions, especially holding a summit of the heads of Maghreb Union countries.
He added that the meeting of foreign ministers of Maghreb countries which was held in Tunis on May 5 showed the consensus among participants on the need to give a new impetus to the Union’s institutions and activate them and overcome all the difficulties and challenges that hinder the progress of the Union.
Visit to focus on economy, scientific research and politics : Tunisian envoy
The upcoming visit of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi to Qatar enhances co-operation between the two countries as well as it supports bilateral consultations on all issues of mutual interest, the country’s ambassador to Qatar Salah al-Salihi has said.
President Essebsi will discuss during his visit co-operation and ways of implementing the outcomes of the Joint Higher Committee’s recent meeting in addition to enhancing and diversifying the existing relationship between the two countries, the Tunisian ambassador told Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Co-operation in the economic field and scientific research as well as the latest political development in the Arab, regional and international arenas will be the focus of the visit, he added.
On the economic relations, the Tunisian diplomat said the first quarter of 2016 has seen an upswing in trade between the two countries and the size of trade exchange in the first quarter was 70% of the total volume achieved in 2015.
On the most important features of the Tunisian-Qatari co-operation in the past, ambassador al-Salhi said that the last five years have seen significant progress in the relations between the two countries and Qatar occupies currently a prominent place at the forefront of Arab and international investments in Tunisia.
Following the political transition in Tunisia in 2011, Qatar was the first Arab country to actively contribute to the support of the Tunisian State and economy in te form of more than $1bn grants and bonds and by the end of 2014, Qatar was the second globally in terms of volume of direct investments in all sectors except the oil sector with 13% of foreign direct investment in Tunisia. Qatar is now the second Arab investor in the Tunisian market in banking, real estate, tourism, telecommunications, agriculture, food industries and various strategic areas with investments worth about $80mn, he added.
On the role of the Tunisian community in the development of Qatar, he described it as one of the most important elements that show the extent of the strong relationship between the two countries, pointing out that the number Tunisian residents in Qatar has quintupled during the four years to reach about 20,000.
Al-Salhi welcomed the nomination of Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, adviser at the Emiri Diwan, for the post of Unesco director-general, stressing his country’s support for his nomination.
In the field of sports, he said that the organisation of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is an “inherent” right and a source of pride for all Arab countries, stressing Tunisia’s support for Qatar to host the World Cup because and its clear position towards Qatar 2022 skeptics.
Tunisia has expressed its disapproval of these campaigns at an institutional level by establishing a parliamentary popular committee to support Qatar in organising and hosting the 2022 world Cup, he said.
Tunisian Foreign Minister Khamis al-Jehinawi during his interview to Qatar News Agency.
