The Tunisian and Libyan governments intend to relaunch their cooperation in the field of transport and trade. Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi visited Libya on Saturday, 22 May 2021 to renew economic and political cooperation between the two countries. To this end, air traffic between the two nations should resume after a seven-year suspension.
On the sidelines of a visit by Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi to Tripoli on Saturday, May 22, the partnership between Libya and Tunisia is expected to resume after being broken for several years because of the political-security crisis that prevailed in Libya.”This fraternal visit reaffirms the political, economic and human historical ties between the two countries,” said the Tunisian Prime Minister upon his arrival in Tripoli. “Our economies are complementary and everything that is beneficial for Libya is also beneficial for Tunisia,” he added.
The resumption of this partnership will concern maritime, land and air transport, as well as cross-border trade and the free movement of goods and people. Cooperation was renewed thanks to the visit of Tunisian President Kais Saied to Tripoli on 17 March 2021, following the establishment of a transitional government led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah. On this, the Tunisian head of state had stated his will “to establish new visions that strengthen the bonds of cooperation existing between Tunisia and Libya, and a global solidarity that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the two peoples brothers to stability and development.”
The Libyan authorities are also committed to supporting Tunisia in its fight against the spread of the coronavirus. Indeed, the country already has more than 335,000 reported cases and deplores 12,236 deaths, hence the importance of this Libyan support in the fight against the progressive evolution of the disease. Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who maintains the tradition in Tripoli, said so in the press room of the Libyan government’s presidential headquarters in Tripoli. “What unites us is very strong and ancient, even strengthened in recent years. We will not let Tunisia face Covid and its aftermath alone. We will do everything in our power to show our solidarity,’ he said.
The airline Tunisair announced that flights to Libya would resume after seven years of suspension due to the political crisis that Libya had to go through following the death of Muammar Gaddafi.
