President of the Republic Kais Saied met on Wednesday afternoon at Carthage Palace with Portuguese Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions Hadja Lahbib. The meeting was the occasion through which the Head of State reaffirmed “Tunisia’s adherence to the historical and distinctive ties of friendship with the European Union, and its unwavering will to further strengthen important relations of cooperation and partnership in various fields, in a bilateral and multilateral framework, as well as working together to formulate new mechanisms and means that strengthen the opportunities for mutual understanding and the development of effective solutions to the various issues raised, within the framework of mutual respect and common interest,” said a statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic. He stressed that “the social role of the state cannot be abandoned, no diktat can be accepted”, calling for “respect for the will of the Tunisian people and the sovereignty of the Tunisian state”. The meeting also addressed a number of other issues, including financial and investment cooperation, in light of the economic and social challenges facing Tunisia, as well as migration issues, scientific and cultural exchanges and the fight against terrorism. For her part, the Belgian minister described the meeting as “constructive and positive” and said in a statement after the meeting, according to a video posted by the Presidency Foundation on its official social media page, that the “will to continue the partnership between the European Union and Tunisia, this friendly country”, was reaffirmed. The meeting also addressed issues related to migration, economic and political questions, Lahbib said, adding that she and her Portuguese counterpart would send a “constructive and positive message” to the European Union and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. For his part, the Portuguese minister said: “The meeting was rich and very important during which we noted a concordance of positions regarding the importance that the parties attach to relations between Tunisia and the European Union”.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse