Attaf reaffirms Algeria's willingness to translate the conclusions of the Joint Monitoring Committee into concrete projects.
The Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Mr. Ahmed Attaf, reaffirmed on Wednesday in Algiers Algeria's full readiness to continue joint action with Tunisia for the implementation of the conclusions of the meeting of the Algerian-Tunisian Monitoring Committee and their transformation into concrete projects and sustainable achievements.
In an address delivered at the opening of the meeting of the Monitoring Committee tasked with evaluating the recommendations of the 23rd session of the Algerian-Tunisian Joint High Commission on Cooperation, Mr. Attaf reiterated "Algeria's full readiness to continue working side by side with the Republic of Tunisia, a brotherly country, in a spirit of fraternity, sincere will and unity of destiny, with a view to implementing the conclusions of this meeting and translating our agreements into concrete projects, lasting achievements and an exemplary partnership, worthy of the history of the two countries, responding to the aspirations of the two peoples and laying the foundations for a more integrated, prosperous and sovereign future."
The Minister of State also assured that "the ties uniting Algeria and Tunisia transcend geographical borders, prove to be deeper than politics and remain more entrenched than the vicissitudes of time," stressing that bilateral relations are based on a shared history of struggle and solidarity, requiring a shift from unity in combat to unity in building, and transforming yesterday's solidarity into tomorrow's integration.
Mr. Attaf specified that the Algerian-Tunisian Monitoring Committee derives its importance from the particular attention that the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and his brother, the President of the Tunisian Republic, Mr. Kaïs Saïed, give to bilateral relations, as well as their commitment to raising them to the level of an exemplary strategic partnership.
He also highlighted the central role of this Committee in monitoring the implementation of the conclusions of the Joint High Commission, assessing their level of achievement, smoothing out difficulties and correcting shortcomings, in order to guarantee the optimal implementation of joint commitments.
The Committee also constitutes a permanent institutional framework enabling the monitoring of these commitments and the evolution of bilateral relations from a logic of managing files to a logic of project implementation, and from sectoral cooperation to a global partnership, he continued.
According to Mr. Attaf, "an objective assessment of Algerian-Tunisian relations invites us not only to note the positive dynamic recorded since the last session of the Joint High Commission, a dynamic marked by its diversity and its progress, covering the political, security, economic and human dimensions, but also to highlight the shortcomings in order to make corrections."
On the political front, he welcomed the regularity of high-level meetings between officials of the two countries, which demonstrate sustained consultation and coordination on bilateral relations, as well as on regional and international issues of common interest, including the Palestinian question, the situation in Libya and Sudan, in addition to issues related to peace, security and development in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region.
He also praised the security cooperation between the institutions of the two countries, describing it as one of the most successful models of bilateral cooperation, given its role in strengthening border security, facilitating the mobility of citizens, and combating terrorism, organized crime, smuggling, and irregular migration.
The Minister of State affirmed that the development of border regions remains a common priority, as an essential lever for promoting local development and economic integration.
While welcoming the progress made in this area, Mr. Attaf expressed the wish to see the agreed projects completed and implemented on the ground.
Regarding the agreements signed during the previous session of the Joint High Commission, the Minister of State highlighted the progress made towards completing the legal procedures necessary for their entry into force.
He specified, in this regard, that of the 26 cooperation agreements concluded, only the ratification procedures for two agreements remain to be finalized, which reflects the common desire of the two countries to consolidate the legal framework governing their bilateral relations.
Regarding sectoral cooperation, Mr. Attaf called for continued efforts to activate the various agreements signed and to accelerate the implementation of the recommendations of the joint technical commissions, in line with the positive dynamic in relations between the two countries, and to translate the common political will into concrete projects and achievements.
On the economic front, the Minister of State welcomed the investment projects carried out and the increase in the volume of trade between the two countries, which should exceed USD 3 billion, in addition to the successful cooperation in the field of energy, assuring that the potential available to Algeria and Tunisia allows them to reach higher levels of economic partnership and investment.
In this context, Mr. Attaf called for giving economic cooperation a new impetus, through the anchoring of a culture of initiative and the removal of bureaucratic constraints that hinder investments and trade, and for the adoption of a methodology based on the definition of objectives and deadlines as well as on performance indicators, thus allowing the evaluation of results and the anchoring of a results culture.