Pakistan and Tunisia enjoy excellent relations as they are deep rooted in the heart of two brotherly people just because of the fact that Pakistan extended huge support to Tunisia during its struggle for independence. The relations between both the countries are characterized by exchange of high level visits and coordination in the international organizations especially in the organization of Islamic conference ( OIC) and United Nations ( UN). Both the countries established of diplomatic relations 1957; Pakistani embassy opened in Tunis in1958 and Tunisian embassy opened in Islamabad in 1980. Similarly, the first session of bilateral consultations was held in Tunis in 2010.
These cordial relations are being further promoted and cemented with each and every passing day and Tunisian Ambassador His Excellency Adel ELARBI is playing excellent role in this connection by being dynamic and active on diplomatic fronts here in Islamabad. He is one of the most popular Islamabad based foreign diplomat not only in the diplomatic corps but Pakistani high officials too. Adel ELARBI is a career diplomat; from 1999 to 2004, he served at the Tunisian Consulate in Montreal, Canada. From 2007 to 2012, he served at the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia to the Netherlands. Prior to his nomination, he was in charge of the Directorate for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador ELARBI speaks Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
According to him, Tunisia and Pakistan enjoy brotherly and important mutual relations in the different fields of cooperation and a long tradition of coordination in the international forums at the multilateral stage. The exchange of high level visits between the two countries and its frequency reflects the close ties between the two governments and brotherly peoples. There is a common willingness between Tunisia and Pakistan to intensify their relations of cooperation in all domains and to build a mutually beneficial and productive relationship. He is also highly optimistic about promotion of look forward your active and constructive interaction with this platform to enhance the Tunisian – Pakistani mutual relations and hope you will contribute to enrich this site with your valuable suggestions, ideas and comments.
He is very popular with Pakistani high authorities as well as political leadership as he always talks about promotion of bilateral trade, economic and strategic cooperation between Pakistan and Tunisia. In April last year, he called on Advisor on National Security Naseer Khan Janjua and discussed ways to further enhance bilateral ties. Matters regarding security and stability of South Asia and Africa also came under discussion during the meeting.
He highlighted that because of its location Tunisia can be helpful for Pakistan in providing an easy access to European and African countries. We have a lot of scope to move forward and it is high time to translate our different ideas of cooperation into tangible projects. Tunisia attached great importance to its relations with Pakistan and expressed desire to boost bilateral relations by extending cooperation in multiple areas including defence, trade and social sector development. Pakistan to keep up momentum of improvement in relations of the two countries, the frequency of high level engagements should be maintained.
He conveyed the desire of his government to start comprehensive counter terrorism cooperation with Pakistan. Our government is keen to explore possibilities of enhancing cooperation between both the countries in field of security, particularly counter-terrorism. He expressed desire and need to initiate cooperation between Tunisian Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Pole and National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), of Pakistan. Both sides agreed to work together at all levels to promote cordial and cooperation bilateral relations.
Speaking on the occasion, Nasser Janjua said Tunisia is a brotherly Muslim country and Pakistan is also keen to expand cooperation with Tunisia. Strong relations with Tunisia would be instrumental for maintaining good relations with other African countries as well.
In November last year, he visited Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and met with the vice-president of the chamber of the city, the members of the Executive Board and with businessmen. He availed the opportunity highlight Tunisia’s geostrategic position as a portal to penetrate African and European markets and talked about the multiple investment opportunities in our country, the privileges provided by the new investment law and the developed infrastructure existing in our country. In this connection he also mentioned the importance of the tourism sector in Tunisia and other economic sectors as well as the diversity of the Tunisian agricultural products such as olive oil and dates and he expressed the desire to export these products to Pakistani market.
Later in the same month, he held a detailed meeting with Mahmood Shafqat, Pakistani Federal Minister of Education and Vocational Training, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Tunisia and Pakistan in the fields of education, higher education and vocational training. In the meeting, he Ambassador stressed the importance that Tunisian government attaches to the sectors of Education and Health since the independence.
He expressed the readiness of Tunisia to share its experience with Pakistan in the fields of education, higher education and vocational training in accordance with the recommendations the last Session of the Tunisian-Pakistani Joint Ministerial Commission, held on 14 and 15 February 2018, in Tunis. Shafqat Mehmood expressed his willingness to create a fruitful environment of cooperation between Tunisia and Pakistan in the fields of Education and Vocational Training and to establish a special legal framework for cooperation between universities and institutes of research and training in both countries and to set up a student exchange program.