During its participation in the Ticad 9 in Yokohama, the government’s heading, Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri, proposed the organization of a Tuniso-Japanese economic forum next year, in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation and explore new development prospects.
Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri met Akihiko Tanaka, president of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss the organization of an economic forum which could be held in Tunisia or Japan in 2026.
Consolidate the Tuniso-Japanese partnership
The objective is to consolidate the Tunisian-Japanese partnership and to promote the use of emerging technologies in development projects for the period 2026-2030.
She also presented several programs funded by the JICA, under evaluation, and said that Tunisia has submitted a list of new projects to finance. The identified tax or procedural difficulties are subject to studies to find suitable solutions.
JICA, 50 years of presence in Tunisia
The government’s heading insisted on strengthening support for higher education and vocational training, with an increased number of Japanese scholarships for Tunisian students. She recalled the importance of the 50th anniversary of JICA in Tunisia and its role in the development of infrastructure and the strengthening of Tunisian skills.
Akihiko Tanaka reaffirmed JICA’s commitment to continue strategic projects and develop new initiatives, highlighting the success of the programs already carried out in various sectors in Tunisia.
The proposal comes within the framework of the TICAD 9 (August 20-22, 2025), whose theme is “to cooperate to find innovative solutions with Africa”. This conference brings together governments, donors and private sector players to strengthen African cooperation and development, while emphasizing innovation and youth.
