Rabat & Tunis Agree to Enhance Cooperation in Civil Aviation

Morocco and Tunisia signed on Tuesday two agreements destined to foster cooperation between the two North African countries in the field of civil aviation.

The accords, sealed during the visit paid by Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita to Tunis, seek to strengthen technical and scientific cooperation ties between the two countries’ civil aviation authorities in airports management, air navigation services and logistic centers.

The agreements show the two countries’ determination to ensure safe and efficient transportation in line with the global norms & regulations, especially those stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Moroccan-Tunisian cooperation in this field is based on a partnership program that includes air transport policies & economies, civil aviation laws & regulations, aviation safety & security, air navigation services and environment protection.

The partnership program set between the two Maghreb countries also features cooperation in matters of passenger rights, search and rescue operations, civil aviation accident investigations, staff training, airport infrastructure, public-private joint projects…
During his visit to Tunis, Bourita discussed with his Tunisian peer Khemaies Jhinaoui cooperation prospects in various sectors and latest regional and international developments.

During the talks, Bourita voiced Morocco’s support for Tunisia’s candidacy to a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council in the years 2020-2021, and insisted that political dialogue should not be limited to bilateral issues only, but has to include coordination on regional and international issues.

The two officials also reviewed ways to activate the stalled Arab Maghreb Union due to strained political relations between Morocco and Algeria over the Sahara issue and Algiers’ refusal to open its land border with its neighboring country.
According to UK magazine the Economist, the Maghreb, a regional bloc grouping Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania, remains “the most separated region on the continent”.

The Maghreb is also one of the world sub-regions where intra-regional trade is stagnating at 3 pc, one of the world’s lowest, though the member countries of this region have huge complementary economic potentials and share common history.

The two sides announced that the second session of the Morocco-Tunisia Economic Forum will be held in early 2019.