TUNIS, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Saied on Monday called for strengthened commercial exchanges and joint investment among French-speaking countries.
During an economic forum that followed the 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, Saied asked French-speaking countries to combine their efforts to revive growth and develop trade relations on the basis of cultural and linguistic proximity.
The minister also called for stronger partnership networks between businessmen, investors and companies in the French-speaking world, in order to promote the creation of wealth, projects and job opportunities in the countries concerned.
For her part, Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development Fadhila Rabhi called for the removal of trade and investment barriers between the French-speaking countries as well as the utilization of supportive legislation in this regard.
The 18th summit of La Francophonie, a two-day event that closed on Sunday in Djerba Island in southern Tunisia, gathered 89 delegations, including 31 heads of state and governments from the French-speaking world as well as leaders of international and regional organizations. ■