President Kais Saied focuses on Tunisia’s relations with international organizations

TUNIS, Mar 26 (TAP/APP): President Kais Saied extensively discussed Tunisia’s relations with several international organizations, particularly those involved in migration, foremost among them the International Organization for Migration (IOM), during a meeting at the Carthage Palace with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti.

The focus was on securing the voluntary return of irregular migrants present in Tunisia to their home countries. A statement from the Presidency of the Republic noted that “since the beginning of this year, only 1,544 migrants have been voluntarily repatriated—a figure that could have been significantly higher had greater efforts been made to put a definitive end to this phenomenon, which is unacceptable both on humanitarian and legal grounds.”
In this context, the Head of State called on these organizations to step up their efforts in supporting Tunisia’s ongoing and persistent work toward the voluntary return of irregular migrants, while intensifying cooperation with concerned countries and organizations to dismantle criminal networks engaged in human trafficking.
The President of the Republic also reiterated the role of Tunisian ambassadors in defending the country’s interests, stressing the need for continuous evaluation of their performance. “The battle for liberation we are waging in our country must be accompanied by a diplomatic liberation movement,” he said.
Furthermore, President Kais Saied emphasized the constants of Tunisia’s foreign policy, chief among them the independence of national decision-making and the diversification of partnerships in a way that serves Tunisia’s interests.
He added that the key issue is not merely opening new embassies or appointing ambassadors, but rather the tangible outcomes achieved between the presentation of credentials and the end of their mandates.
The Head of State also instructed officials to enhance support for Tunisians abroad and improve remote services provided to them in coordination with relevant state institutions.
He stressed that diplomatic and consular missions exist to serve the Tunisian state and its citizens and any negligence or breach of duty in this regard will not go unpunished.