Kais Saied works with Libya to restore the Maghreb Arab Union
Tunisian President Kais Saied has said he will work to restore the Arab Maghreb Union to its pre-Libyan war state. During his visit to Libya, the Tunisian president met with the head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Muhammad al-Manfi.
Saied said in the remarks that he had discussed "with the president of the Libyan Presidency Council a number of key issues in the region". He also noted that his country is going through a "critical" stage. He noted that Tunisia would continue to support Libya's democratic path "especially because Tunisia's security is Libya's security," the statement said.
"During the talks, (the two leaders) stressed the importance of this visit, which demonstrates the depth and strength of the historical ties between Libya and Tunisia," it said in a statement issued by the information office of Libya's new Government of National Unity.
Kais Saied arrived in Libya on Wednesday on an official visit, accompanied by a high-level delegation. He was received at Maitika International Airport by the President of the Libyan Presidential Council and his two deputies, Mus al-Koni and Abdullah al-Lafi. The new government moved to Tripoli on Tuesday and will be in charge of unifying the institutions ahead of the elections scheduled for December.
A Libyan source confirms that during the session they discussed the future benefits of the two countries, especially economic and development issues. In addition, Saied reiterated his full support for the bilateral democratic process. Saied's visit "demonstrates the depth and strength of the historical relations between Tunisia and Libya," the statement said.
The source added that it was agreed to give a new impetus to commercial activity and develop a work plan to activate the investment side by facilitating transit procedures between the two countries and facilitating financial procedures between the Central Bank of Tunisia and the Central Bank of Libya.
In turn, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Tunisians Abroad, Othman al-Kharandi, described the visit to Libya's sister country as "important" and stressed that it was "a sincere expression of the degree of Tunisia's support for its neighbouring country, Libya".
"This first visit will open a new page and will be an indication of relations based on cooperation, solidarity and communication between the various institutions of the two countries," al-Kharandi added in press statements at the Abu Sitta guest house in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
The visit has come after the fall of exports between the two countries by 50% and the unemployment of 300 thousand Tunisians to unemployment since 2011 after working in the Libyan market. According to reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), 70% of Tunisia's various commercial exports are absorbed by the Libyan market.
The Libyan war affected the movement of production in Tunisia as it did not find an alternative to the problems of closing the borders between the two countries. In addition to the impossibility of using Libyan seaports that had been used during the war.
World Bank reports also confirm that Libya is historically Tunisia's fifth strongest economic partner, with annual trade transactions exceeding $3 billion, after some European Union states, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.
The Tunisian presidency said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit "falls within the framework of Tunisia's support for the democratic process in Libya, which aims to hold general elections next December, as it strives to end the conflict in the country."
The Tunisian president has not held meetings with foreign countries since taking office in 2019, except for visits to France and Algeria. The last visit by a Tunisian head of state to Libya was in 2012, by former president Monsef Marzouki, a year after the uprising that led to the fall of Muammar Gadhafi's regime, followed by a long period of instability and division.
