The Tunisian president met with Emmanuel Macron this Saturday, October 2. He “regrets” the French decision to reduce the number of visas for Maghreb nationals.
In a telephone interview with Emmanuel Macron, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed expressed his regret over the reduction in visas granted to Tunisians, according to an official Tunisian press release this Saturday, October 2.
“The president regrets the decision to reduce the number of visas granted to Tunisians who wish to travel to France,” the Tunisian presidency indicated on its Facebook page.
Engaged discussions
According to the presidency in Tunis, during the conversation between the two heads of state, Emmanuel Macron “declared that this measure could be revised”.
President Saïed replied that “the issue of irregular migration can only be tackled on the basis of a new vision”, and that it will be one of the “priorities of the new Tunisian government”, expected one day. to the other.
The French government announced on Tuesday the reduction in the number of visas granted to nationals of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, citing the “refusal” of these Maghreb countries to issue the consular passes necessary for the return of immigrants expelled from France.
The epidemic under control
The Tunisian president also underlined to Emmanuel Macron, “the remarkable improvement in the health situation in Tunisia”, thanks, according to him, to ” the country’s international efforts” and to “the support of brotherly countries. and friends, who made it possible to control the Covid-19 pandemic”.
After a peak in contamination between July 7 and 13 with more than 3,000 cases per day, Tunisia has experienced in recent weeks a marked decline in the number of patients and deaths due to Covid-19 which has made nearly 25,000 dead in the country.
This improvement in the health situation came after the acceleration of the vaccination campaign thanks to donations sent by several countries. Almost 5 million people out of 12 million people received the first dose of the vaccine and 2.6 million both doses. The Ministry of Health plans to fully immunize 60% of the population by the end of October.
Soon a summit of the Francophonie
The two men also discussed the planned holding of the summit of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), on November 20 and 21 in Djerba (Tunisia).
They “discussed the preparations underway to organize the summit” and “a series of questions that will be addressed” during a future meeting, on an unspecified date, between Kaïs Saïed and the secretary general of the OIF, the Rwandan. Louise Mushikiwabo.
