On the occasion of the second Russia–Africa Ministerial Conference in Cairo, the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nafti, met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to take stock of the development of bilateral relations and the monitoring of economic and scientific cooperation projects between Tunisia and Russia. These exchanges take place in a context of reinforced regional coordination with Egypt and Algeria.
During his trip to Cairo on December 19 and 20, 2025, Mohamed Ali Nafti met with Egyptian Minister Badr Abdel-Ati and Algerian Minister Ahmed Attaf. The discussions made it possible to salute the “distinguished” level of bilateral relations and to reaffirm the desire to intensify joint action.
The ministers recalled the importance of implementing the decisions of the 18th session of the Tunisian-Egyptian Joint High Commission (Cairo, September 11, 2025) and the 23rd session of the Tunisian-Algerian Joint High Commission (Tunis, December 12, 2025).
They also stressed the need to continue tripartite coordination and support a consensual political solution in Libya, under the aegis and with the support of the United Nations, with Tunisia hosting the next meeting of the consultation mechanism.
Focus on Tunisian-Russian cooperation
Mohamed Ali Nafti then met Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The two officials insisted on following up on the decisions of the eighth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission (Moscow, November 2024), particularly in the sectors of trade, transport, health, energy, education and higher education.
The ministers also discussed the organization of the next session of the Joint Commission in Tunisia in 2026, with a view to strengthening economic and scientific cooperation.
Tunisian diplomacy active on several fronts
Finally, Mohamed Ali Nafti held a meeting with the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug. The discussions focused on the preparation of the next bilateral deadlines scheduled for the first half of 2026 and the need to intensify cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and joint investment.
These meetings are part of Tunisia’s strategy aimed at strengthening its regional and international partnerships, by coordinating its actions with its neighbors and continuing dialogue with strategic partners such as Russia and Mauritania.
They also illustrate the ambition of Tunisian diplomacy to make Tunisia a regional hub for economic, scientific and political cooperation in North Africa and the Sahel.
Read also
