514. It is in this context that Tunisia actively participated in the various summits,
meetings and conferences held within the framework of the forums of dialogue
and cooperation with the African Continent, including notably the « Africa-Europe
Summit », the « Africa-France Summits », the « International Tokyo Conference
on Africa’s Development », the « Africa-Asia Summit », the « Sino-Africa Forum »
as well as « Arabo-African Cooperation Initiative ».
515. Tunsia also calls for the pursuit of the path of triangular cooperation in order
to achieve lasting development in Africa and the development of the African
peoples, and this through its commitment to the « Programme of Triangular
Cooperation » established with the various international partners.
516. It is also committed to placing its experience in development matters at the
disposal of the African countries, both within the frame work of the African Union,
of the Economic Commission for Africa, of the International Francophony
Organization, the NEPAD programmes, and in the context of South-South
cooperation.
517. Ever faithful to its tradition of land of hospitality and of solidarity with Africa,
Tunisia received the temporary headquarters of one of the principal African
development institutions, the « African Development Bank » to which it offered all
the necessary facilities for the smooth running of its activities.
II- At the Bilateral Level
518. In parallel to its contribution to the level of joint African action, and despite an
unfavourable international climate, Tunisia has been determined to develop its
bilateral relations with the African countries through joint commission meetings,
exchange visits and an increase in roving diplomatic and economic missions
responsible for exploring the possibilities of cooperation, the opening of new
markets and the diversification of partners. In this regard, it put in place a suitable
legal framework to encourage Tunsian businessmen to invest in Africa through
the conclusion of bilateral agreements on investment promotion, agreements on
no double taxation, incentive provoking and encouraging commercial
agreements.
519. Tunisia also attaches great importance to the development of technical
cooperation with the African countries by putting its experience in this area at the
disposal of the African countries which may wish to take inspiration from it at the
bilateral and multilateral levels. The appropriate framework for the provision of
this experience is the Tunisian Technical Cooperation Agency (ATCT), a public
institution created for the implementation and the promotion of technical
cooperation policy.
520. Confronted by the obsessive promotion of the private sector by the
international institutions, the need was felt to accept a regulation which protects
work and employment, to define a significant role for the modernized public
systems, to take charge of the major functions of general interest, and to assign a
genuine economic role, in particular in the agriculture and local production
sectors, financing, local services, economic structures of associative, cooperative
or mutualist type, close to the populations and facilitating local and regional
exchanges, favouring the promotion of women’s affairs, guaranteeing food
security and reducing the debt burden.
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