Day: February 29, 2024

Scaling up Tunisian-Omani cultural cooperation relations notably in the heritage field took centre stage on Wednesday at a meeting between the Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayet Guettat Guermazi and Omani Ambassador to Tunisia Hilal Abdullah Al Sinani, according to a ministry press release. The two sides examined ways of establishing lasting cooperation in the various sectors of shared interest under the memorandum of understanding signed on May 3, 2023 between the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. Emphasis was laid on a range of project proposals, including the organisation of live workshops on restoration and maintenance techniques for historic monuments, targeting experts from both countries, as well as field workshops for sharing expertise, notably in the field of heritage conservation and artistic lighting. Among the proposals put forward is the consolidation of the artistic, cultural and literary presence of the Sultanate of Oman at major events organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, such as the Tunis International Book Fair and summer festivals, as well as the possibility of twinning the Muscat Opera Theatre with that of Tunis and the medina of Tunis with the medina of Oman, both of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In this regard, the minister ordered the creation of a small working group tasked with drawing up a clear programme defining the next projects and proposals with a view to submitting it to the Omani side, in collaboration with the Omani embassy to Tunisia. Underlining the importance of the Omani collaboration in the effort to restore Tunisia's historic monuments, she called to further broaden this cooperation to include other artistic, literary and cultural disciplines. The ambassador, for his part, expressed his country's willingness to step up bilateral cooperation in the various sectors of culture, art and creativity. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The area devoted to rapeseed cultivation has doubled in the governorate of Beja during the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign, with 7,000 hectares under cultivation, compared with 3,500 hectares before, Deputy Director of the Beja Regional Union of Agriculture and Fisheries Sofien Rezgui told TAP. The increase in rapeseed cultivation is due to the success of the awareness campaign carried out by the URAP in Beja the previous year, targeting 300 farmers, aimed at explaining the economic profitability of this agricultural sector, especially in view of the decline in sunflower cultivation and the difficulties in marketing it. He pointed out that growing rapeseed produces an excellent oil, ranked 2nd after olive oil, and also provides fodder rich in protein, which helps support food security in Tunisia, adding that rapeseed can be planted in all the delegations of Beja where the land is fertile, especially in the north of the region where the yield from a single hectare of rapeseed varies from 7 quintals to 34 qui ntals depending on the area. The goal is to grow 50,000 hectares of rapeseed in Beja, he specified, adding that the goal for this season had been to grow 25,000 hectares, but the late rainfall has prevented this from being achieved. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Minister of Health, Ali Mrabet, and his Saudi counterpart, Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, signed on Wednesday in Tunis a framework agreement for cooperation between the two countries in the field of health. According to a press release issued by the ministry, the two ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of blood transfusion between the National Blood Transfusion Centre and the Saudi blood transfusion services centre. They also agreed to develop an executive programme between the Ministry of Health's computer centre and the Saudi Virtual Hospital. A working meeting was held between the Minister of Health and his Saudi counterpart and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of representatives of the Tunis Pasteur Institute, the National Blood Transfusion Centre, the National Centre for the Promotion of Organ Transplantation, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products, the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicines and senior officials of the Ministry. Th e meeting discussed a number of issues related to bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including medical education and research, and the equivalence of diplomas, particularly for paramedical staff. The Minister of Health and his Saudi counterpart then visited the National Centre for the Promotion of Organ Transplantation, where the Saudi Minister was briefed on the mission of this health facility. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Moncef Boukthir on Wednesday held talks with CEO of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) Valérie Verdier, on the monitoring of structuring research projects. These projects include joint international laboratories, which will help boost Tunisian-French cooperation in the scientific research field, notably in water resources management, environmental protection, renewables and technology transfer and development. The meeting focused on the prospects for bilateral cooperation through the development of a joint action plan that defines the two countries' shared priorities in the scientific research and innovation fields. The goal is to set up joint research teams and create new mechanisms to scale up Tunisian-French cooperation under international and European programmes such as Horizon Europe, PRIMA and Blue Med, in compliance with the framework agreement signed between the Higher Education and Scientific Research Ministry, the IRD and the Agricultural Research Centre for Development. The meeting was an opportunity to underline the need to boost South-South cooperation by multiplying initiatives aimed at building the capacity of African researchers. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The 44th session of the Al-Baraka Forum for Islamic Economy was launched yesterday at Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz University in Medina, under the title "The objectives of Sharia and the regulatory framework of the Islamic economy » under the patronage of the Governor of the Medina region, Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz and with the participation of a wide range of experts and specialists. The chairman of the board of directors of the forum, Abdullah bin Saleh Kamel, traced the history of the organization since its founding forty-two years ago by the late businessman Sheikh Saleh Kamel; and he stressed that the new session comes in a context of economic changes which require the activation of pragmatic aspects and contribution to the exploration of the overall economic objectives of the Islamic economy which overlap with those of the contemporary economy, such as the concept of reconstruction, security, empowerment, balance, justice and sustainability. In his speech, Dr. Saad bin Nasser al-Chithri, a dvisor to the royal court and member of the Council of Ulemas, praised the efforts of the participating researchers for their ideas, opinions and their religious, economic and financial jurisprudence; highlighting the constant effort in the development of this session and previous sessions of the Forum, which have had an impact in the creation of financial products beneficial to the Islamic economy. For his part, the President of Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz University, Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar, presented the main themes of the forum's work, which addresses three main axes: Islamic banks and the non-profit sector, as well as the generation of young influential investors in the West and their common points with Islamic economics and how to explore them. He also addressed global financial crises and futile dialogue. Secretary General of the Islamic Research Center in Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Dr. Nazir Ayyad, stressed that Islamic Sharia has all the characteristics enabling it to promote an ideal economic syst em that meets individual aspirations and the interests of society . The launch of the Forum was marked by the signing of two bilateral cooperation agreements between the Al-Baraka Forum for Islamic Economy, the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration 'SCCA' and the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation . These agreements aim to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the forum by promoting the concept of the Islamic economy and developing it in its entirety. Source: Burkina Information Agency Paris, Feb. 29 (TAP Correspondent Rakia Selmi)- Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani met on Thursday evening at the Tunisian Embassy in Paris with the heads of Tunisian consular missions and representatives of accredited Tunisian institutions in France, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad Nabil Ammar and Minister of the Economy and Planning Feriel Ouerghi Sebai. The Prime Minister listened to the concerns of the heads of consular missions. He commended the significant role played by diplomatic and consular missions in addressing the needs of Tunisians abroad, stressing the need to improve the quality of services offered to Tunisian expatriates. The Premier also had talks with representatives of accredited Tunisian support bodies in France, calling them to seize opportunities made available in various sectors. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Pan African Wound Healing (PAWH) association will be launched in Tunis on Friday in the presence of the Minister of Health, Ali Mrabet. Fourteen African countries, represented by eminent professors in various fields, presidents of scientific societies and deans of medical faculties, will attend the inaugural meeting of this association, according to a statement from the association. The association was initiated by Professor Amen Allah Messaadi, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Tunis and founder of the Burns Intensive Care Unit. PAWH aims to improve the quality of care for all types of wounds in Africa and to promote African expertise in wound care, burns and healing techniques. It will work to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration between health professionals and promote the training of health professionals through theoretical and practical training programmes on the latest therapeutic and technological advances, with the main aim of reducing disparities in woun d care, according to the same statement. The accredited course leads to certification and is open to Tunisian and African paramedical and medical staff. PAWH President Prof Amen Allah Messaadi said: "Our ambition is to invest in research and development because it is clear that as Africans, we must of course take advantage of the latest innovations and discoveries in wound care and healing. We also need to look seriously at medical research, both clinical and basic, to develop treatments that are adapted to our social context and health resources". He added: "We want to make medicine accessible to all patients, especially those with limited resources. The pan-African association also aims to develop and implement prevention programmes not only in its member countries, but across the continent, Messaadi said. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The last phase of the project of restoration, preservation and maintenance of El Jem Amphitheatre- a 3rd century monument known as Thysdrus in the Roman province of Africa- is set for next September, the National Institute of Heritage (French: INP) said. The announcement follows a mid-February visit by US Ambassasdor in Tunis Joey Hood, in the company of INP Director General Tarek El-Baccouche. The project, running from 2020 to 2024, is financed by a $430,000 donation made by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) in 2019, with a view to preserving the Colosseum, a site featuring since 1979 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This project is part of a programme carried out by the U.S. Department of State's Cultural Heritage Centre of the American Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse