Tunisian Premier invited to pay state visit to Italy

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, Monday invited his Tunisian counterpart Hichem Mechichi to pay a state visit to Italy to discuss ways of strengthening  bilateral relations  and exchange views on issues of common interest, TAP news agency reports.

 

Conte’s invitation came during a telephone conversation between the two men, indicated the Prime Minister’s office in a statement.

 

During this telephone conversation, Conte reaffirmed his country’s firm commitment to support Tunisia in various fields, particularly with regard to its relations with the European Union and its European partners.

 

Emphasis was also placed on the need for coordination in the fight against terrorism, irregular migration, security and investment.

 

Mechichi commended the “excellent” level reached by bilateral cooperation, recalling that Italy is the first investor in Tunisia in the field of Energy, the statement said.

 

More than 800 Italian companies are now established in Tunisia and the EU country is Tunisia’s top investor in the area of energy.

 

Mechichi was designated Prime Minister in July by President Kais Saied after then Premier Elyes Fakhfakh resigned in the backdrop of a conflict of interest scandal that mired him.

 

Mechichi has not made any maiden foreign visit yet. Tunisia is battling against a flatted economy knocked down by the covid-19 pandemic.

 

Italy allocated to the North African country €50 million in the form of loan to help it navigate the health crisis.