African Union: Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti Holds Bilateral Meetings in Addis Ababa
On the occasion of his participation in the second day of the 48th ordinary session of the African Union Executive Council, held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on February 11 and 12, 2026, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti met with African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. The meeting focused on the existing cooperation relations between Tunisia and the African Union, as well as ways to develop them further, in line with the principles and fundamental values on which the Union is based. Tunisia's commitment to common African action and its active contribution to various programs and activities aimed at consolidating the pillars of peace and security across the continent, strengthening the foundations of sustainable development in Africa, and achieving the expected economic integration in this strategic space were reaffirmed. The discussions also covered the major challenges facing African states and ways to strengthen the African organization's capacity to address them, in a regional and international context marked by multiple crises. Minister Nafti also met with Amma Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development. On this occasion, he highlighted Tunisia's willingness to develop cooperation with the Commission in areas within its competence, particularly in the fields of health, social development, and women's empowerment, as well as in addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration. He emphasized Tunisia's comprehensive and multidimensional approach to addressing this issue, encouraging voluntary return mechanisms and socio-economic support for individuals returning to their countries of origin. During his meeting with Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the importance of Tunisia's contribution to activating economic and trade cooperation mechanisms within this new space was highlighted, as well as the acceleration of the next necessary steps for the effective functioning of this instrument, which is expected to achieve better economic integration of the continent's states. Minister Nafti continued his series of meetings with his counterparts from brotherly and friendly countries, meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Mauritania, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. These meetings are part of the efforts to strengthen coordination on the main points on the agenda of the African Union Executive Council, as well as to mobilize support for several Tunisian candidacies. These meetings also provided an opportunity to examine ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation with these countries and prepare for upcoming bilateral events. The Tunisian delegation also contributed to the debates held during the second session of the Executive Council on the main issues on the agenda, including the adoption of African Union legal instruments, social justice as a development priority on the continent, and issues related to the financing of the African Union, the rationalization of its mechanisms, and its governance. Read also: African Union: Mohamed Ali Nafti holds bilateral meetings in Addis Ababa
