News from Berlin

Germany and Tunisia – Economic Rapprochement

July 16th, 2014
tunisienne.jpg

News from Berlin:  This July the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) in Tunisia adopted  two co-operation agreements with France and Germany.  Touhami Abdouli, Secretary of State for European Affairs, said on Tuesday that “Germany is on course to becoming the first European partner of Tunisia”, implying that Germany is becoming a crucial ally for Tunisia. Tunisia’s relationship with France, which had traditionally always been favourably disposed to Tunisia, is now giving way to the slow but solid development of a Tunisian- German alliance. Three years after the abolition of the Ben Ali government and after the onset of the Tunisian revolution in 2011, the country is establishing important diplomatic relations with European countries. Germany demonstrates a great willingness to  helping Tunisia through the process of becoming a fully-fledged democracy.  

The mutual cooperation between the two states dates back to the  1960s when West and then East Germany began increasing their shares in the Tunisian economy.  In 2010 Germany became Tunisia’s third largest trading partner after France and Italy. Germany also plays a crucial role in the automobile industry (especially car parts sector) and car makers (BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen). Economic progress aided by the countries of Western Europe and especially France and Germany play an instrumental role in establishing  greater stability in the country and facilitating Tunisian transformation into a democratic and liberal society.

News from Berlin - Berlin Global