The official visit of the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, scheduled for Monday in Zarzis, in the south of Tunisia, was canceled due to emergencies linked to the environmental crisis currently going through the governorate of Gabès.
According to the Nova agencythe Tunisian Minister of Defense, Khaled Shili, had to postpone bilateral engagements due to the high-level meetings which follow one another around the situation in the governorate.
The Minister of Defense as well as the other ministers remain mobilized by the environmental and social crisis facing the Gabès region.
In this context, the Assembly of People’s Representatives will hold, this Monday, October 20, 2025, a plenary session devoted to examining the situation in the governorate of Gabès, in the presence of the Ministers of Health, Mustapha Ferjani, and of Equipment and Housing, Salah Zouari.
Gabès, the scene of massive demonstrations for several days, is facing persistent pollution attributed to units of the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT). Residents are demanding the immediate dismantling of polluting industrial facilities.
The Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, was to go to Zarzis for an official visit aimed at consolidating Italian-Tunisian cooperation in the defense sector. According to the Nova agency, this agreement is part of the strengthening of relations between Rome and Tunis, initiated last year with the signing of a defense cooperation agreement.
This agreement provides for more than 46 joint activities between the Italian and Tunisian armed forces – 26 in Italy and 20 in Tunisia – and covers education, training, operations, military medical services and the exchange of satellite information.
