Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli returned home on Saturday following an official visit to Tunis, where he co-chaired the Tunisian-Egyptian Economic Forum, which was held with the 17th session of the Egyptian-Tunisian Joint Higher Committee on bilateral cooperation.

The event was held under the auspices of Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden and her counterpart Mostafa Madbouly, who is currently on an official visit to Tunis.

Trade exchange between the two countries dropped to $330 million in 2021, data released in the forum showed.

The total investments were estimated at $570 million by the end of 2020, which were allocated to finance 42 economic projects.

These figures are below the expectations, given the huge investment opportunities available between the two countries.

Bouden called for unifying efforts and working together to further enhance the existing cooperation.

She underscored the importance of the legal framework that regulates the bilateral economic relations, noting that it is one of the best frameworks both countries have concluded with their economic partners.

The PM further underlined both governments’ key role to improve the business environment, facilitate the movement of economic actors, the flow of goods, and the rapid intervention to overcome all obstacles that might hinder the access of commodities and products to the Egyptian and Tunisian markets.

Madbouly, for his part, hailed the key role played by the forum and the Egyptian-Tunisian Higher Committee meetings to integrate public and private sector efforts and raise the level of bilateral ties in the fields of trade exchange, cooperation and investment partnership in all economic activities.

He called for establishing an immediate mechanism to issue visas for Tunisian businessmen, affirming that there are no restrictions on their movement between Tunisia and Egypt.

Tunisian businessmen are welcomed in Egypt, Madbouly stressed.