Tunisia

French presence

23,253 French nationals live in Tunisia
A Consulate-General in Tunis

Visits

• 9 January 2020: visit to Tunis by Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 11 November 2019: visit to Paris by the Tunisian Head of Government, Mr Youssef Chahed, for the Paris Peace Forum.
• 17 September 2019: visit by the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr Slim Khalbous, to co-chair the steering committee of the Franco-Tunisian University for Africa and the Mediterranean (UFTAM).
• 27 July 2019: visit to Tunis by the French President for the funeral of President Beji Caid Essebsi.
• 19 March 2020: visit to Tunis by Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 13-15 February 2019: official visit to Paris by the Head of the Tunisian Government, Mr Youssef Chahed, with a delegation of 10 ministers, for the second meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council.
• 11 November 2018: participation of President Beji Caid Essebsi in the Paris Peace Forum, on the occasion of the commemorations of the First World War armistice centenary.
• 21-22 October 2018: visit by Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 22 July 2018: visit by Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
• 25 June 2018: visit by Mr Sabri Bachtobji, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, received by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to co-chair the monitoring and preparatory committee for the High-Level Cooperation Council.
• 29 May 2018: Mr Beji Caid Essebsi, President of Tunisia, attended the conference on Libya.
• 31 January-1 February 2018: state visit by the French President.

Ambassadors

French Ambassador to Tunisia: Mr Olivier Poivre d’Arvor
Tunisian Ambassador to France: None currently appointed

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Our cooperation and cultural action now has three priorities:

• Supporting Tunisian civil society and the development of its relations with French civil society;
• Supporting the establishment of democracy and the rule of law;
• Contributing to the initial and continued training of Tunisians.

French cultural cooperation is aimed in priority at young people and new audiences within civil society, which can be seen in artistic exchanges, debates and support for new media outlets. Promoting our expertise in museums and heritage as well as supporting young artists and cultural players are also important.

Promoting the French language is an important part of our cooperation. As a “foreign language with special status” in Tunisia, it is taught at all levels of the educational system. The diplomatic post helps to promote the French language through the Language Centre of the French Institute in Tunisia and the network of French schools (AEFE, Agency for French Education Abroad), with more than 3,200 Tunisian children enrolled out of a total of 7,200 students.

On 4 October 2019, our two Higher Education Ministers inaugurated the Franco-Tunisian University for Africa and the Mediterranean (UFTAM). The project’s main aims are to foster employability, Tunisia’s position as a training hub for Africa, and teaching in French.

Furthermore, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has played a central role in French-Tunisian cooperation since 1992 through the volume of its commitments and by supporting major reforms. Tunisia is the AFD’s second largest intervention country in terms of volume and the largest in terms of interventions per capita. The AFD is the main deliverer of the €1.7 billion plan that will run until 2022. During his state visit from 31 January to 1 February 2018, the French President announced the renewal of the AFD’s commitments for two years (at €250 million per year for 2021 and 2022). The AFD is responsible for the implementation of the “Young Entrepreneurs in Tunisia” (JET) programme, worth €50 million over three years.