Tunisia and Senegal are set to strengthen their economic cooperation, particularly in the olive oil sector, as discussed during a meeting between Senegalese Minister of Industry and Trade, Serigne Gueye Diop, and a Tunisian delegation in Dakar. The talks focused on enhancing trade relations and developing partnerships within the African Continental Free Trade Area. Minister Diop announced a planned official visit to Tunisia in October to further solidify economic ties.
The discussions also covered the importance of exchanging expertise and establishing partnerships across various stages of the value chain, from processing to marketing. The Senegalese minister emphasized the need for collaboration between the two nations to foster economic growth. The Tunisian delegation participated in the first edition of the Tunisian Olive Oil Promotion Days in Dakar from October 7-9, which included promotional activities, institutional and technical meetings with Senegalese authorities.
The meetings between the Tunisian Center for the Promotion of Exports and the Senegalese Agency for the Promotion of Exports aimed to convert their existing cooperation framework into a three-year action plan. This plan would involve organizing reciprocal business missions, sectoral business meetings, and exchanging market information. The two entities are bound by a memorandum of understanding.
Tunisia invited Senegal to participate in the fourth edition of the Tunisian-African Business Meetings, scheduled for December 9-10 in Tunis. This event would provide economic actors from both countries with new opportunities to explore markets, identify potential partners, and establish commercial partnerships. The discussions also touched on ways to enhance cooperation in the olive oil sector.
The National Olive Oil Office and the Senegalese National Company for the Marketing of Oilseeds discussed exchanging technical expertise, particularly in quality control and team training. Tunisia shared its expertise in modern pressing and refining techniques, analysis standards, and quality monitoring. This cooperation aims to support Senegal's efforts to develop local industrial processing and valorize its peanut production.
The Technical Center for Packaging and the Senegalese Agency for the Development and Structuring of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises explored cooperation opportunities in eco-friendly packaging, canning, and conditioning. They also discussed mechanisms to support small and medium-sized enterprises, enabling them to enhance their products and competitiveness in local and export markets.
The two countries also discussed the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, focusing on the gradual opening of markets, rules of origin, and coordination between Tunisia and Senegal. This cooperation aims to facilitate access to partner countries' markets, develop regional value chains, and diversify trade exchanges within the African continent.
Key points
- Tunisia and Senegal plan to strengthen economic cooperation, particularly in the olive oil sector.
- The two countries aim to develop partnerships within the African Continental Free Trade Area.
- A three-year action plan is being developed to enhance cooperation between the two nations.
