Tunisia's President Saied hosts German FM, calls for 'balance' in EU ties

Tunisia's president Kais Saied welcomed Germany's Foreign Minister to Tunis on Monday for talks on ways to develop their partnership.

Saied called on the European Union to update its relationship with Tunisia, saying their partnership should be "more balanced and fair."

"Today we spoke about bilateral relations as well as the regional situation," Johann Wadephul, Germany's Foreign Minister, told reporters.

"We are living in a time of global upheaval, profound change and crises. The security and economic situation is strained across the world. It is precisely for this reason that international cooperation is now more important than ever. In this regard, I would like to reiterate that Germany and the European Union are, and will remain, reliable friends and partners of Tunisia."

The two nations signed financing agreements of almost 100 million euros and pledged to expand cooperation in a number of sectors.

"Another pillar of our exchanges is development cooperation, particularly in the areas of the energy transition, water management and digitalisation. I am delighted that we are signing new agreements in the context of this visit. I am convinced that our dialogue and our cooperation will further strengthen cooperation and relations between our countries and our societies."