ISLAMABAD: The 9th Session of the Pakistan-Tunisia Joint Commission was held in Tunis, Foreign Office said in an official statement on Friday.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif co-chaired the Joint Commission with his Tunisian counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui. This is the first time that Pakistan-Tunisia Joint Commission Meeting was held at the level of foreign ministers.
The Joint Commission Meeting enabled a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Tunisia. A detailed discussion was held to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of security, counter-terrorism, defense, justice, economic development, trade and investment, education, science and technology and agriculture.
Khawaja Muhammad Asif briefed his counterpart on the regional situation, including Afghanistan. He also briefed him on India and its grave violations of human rights in Indian-Held Kashmir. The Tunisian foreign minister shared views on the situation in Libya and the Middle East. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of resolving the IHK and Palestinian crises in accordance with the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions pertaining to the legal status of Palestine and Kashmir.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at their commonality of views on major regional and international issues and resolved to continue their traditional collaboration at the UN and other multilateral fora, especially through support to each other’s candidatures.
The two sides held discussions on setting up channels of communication between the specialised agencies of both the countries in the fight against terrorism.
They also expressed the common desire to seek ways and means to establish mutual cooperation in the field of defense and exchange technical and scientific information in the area of civil protection between the two countries.
The two sides resolved to enhance the current level of economic and trade interaction between the countries to reflect the cordiality of brotherly ties. Accordingly, a general agreement for establishing a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) was initiated. It was agreed to exchange multi-sectoral business delegations from both sides.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, it was decided to hold various cultural activities including art exhibitions, folk musical and cultural performances of Pakistan in Tunisia and vice versa.
The agreements in the fields of industrial and agriculture research, cooperation between small and medium enterprises, judicial cooperation and banking were signed at the conclusion of the Joint Commission in addition to the agreed upon minutes of the talks and initialing of the general agreement on PTA.
The two sides noted with deep satisfaction, the continuation of the long standing close, fraternal ties, the mutual understanding and goodwill that have enabled the enhancement of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, security and cultural domains.
It was agreed that the 10th session of the Joint Commission Meeting will be held in Islamabad at mutually convenient dates in 2019.
Published in Daily Times, February 17th 2018.
