Today, Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie was received at the Carthage Palace by the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Béji Caïd Essebsi, and held a bilateral meeting with the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khemaies Jhinaoui, as well as a meeting with the President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Mohamed Ennaceur.
As part of Argentina's smart international insertion policy, aimed among other things at diversifying exports to the Maghreb, a region with great economic potential and increased demand for food and value-added products, Faurie travelled from Morocco -where he had a busy diplomatic schedule- to the city of Tunis, with a view to strengthening cooperation in the agro-industrial, economic-trade, scientific-technical, and sports fields.
The Argentine Foreign Minister and his Tunisian counterpart agreed that the two countries have great cooperation opportunities in sectors and products with high potential for business, such as agricultural machinery, silo bags, dairy products, sunflower and maize oil, renewable energy, the automotive and auto parts industry, logistics, medical supplies, the pharmaceutical industry, and electrical equipment. The Republic of Tunisia has recently confirmed that it will open up its markets for Argentine exports of edible bovine gelatin, queen bees and hides of ungulates.
Faurie, alonsgside the Argentine Ambassador to Tunisia, Claudio Rozencwaig, and representative Nicolás Massot, reaffirmed Argentina's willingness to increase trade and Argentine exports, with a focus on agro-business, renewable energy, and science and technology. Argentine exports to Tunisia have increased over the last three years and reached USD 135 million in 2017, a 7% increase vis-à-vis 2016.
Argentina and Tunisia share Technical Cooperation projects, within the framework of the Argentine Fund for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (FO.AR), especially in the agro-industrial sector. The Foreign Ministers expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation, including both bilateral and triangular cooperation, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Lastly, the Foreign Minister held a meeting with Rached Ghannouchi, the President of the Ennahda Movement, which is part of the coalition government, and shared views on the bilateral relationship and the great opportunities that it will offer in the future.
After the meeting with President Caïd Essebsi and the bilateral meeting with Jhinaoui, Foreign Minister Faurie met at the Bardo Palace with the President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Mohamed Ennaceur.
