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Japan-Tunisia Relations

May 2011

Basic Data

Diplomatic Relations:

Established in June 1956

Japan Embassy was opened in Tunisia in 1969

(a) Almost every year, Tunisian Foreign Minister or Minister of Development and International Cooperation has visited Japan. In May 2008, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ghannouchi, Prime Minister of Tunisia visited Japan on the occasion of the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in Yokohama.

(b) Japan-Tunisia Joint Committee has taken place every five years since 1985. In March 2008, the 6th Joint Committee was held in Tokyo, represented by Mr. Sasae, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Ms. Chitioui, State Secretary for Foreign Minister on the Japanese and Tunisian sides respectively.

Bilateral Treaties and Agreements:

1956 Visa Exemption Arrangement

1960 Trading Arrangement

Number of Residents:

Number of Japanese residing in Tunisia: 184 (March 2009)

Number of Tunisian residing in Japan: 304 (December 2006)

Economic Relations:

Exports: 17.3 billion yen (sea food and pulp)

Imports: 11.8 billion yen (motorcar and machinery)

Number of Japanese Companies: 11 (including overseas affiliated companies)

Direct Investment from Japan:

Cumulative total as of 1992: $2 million

Japan's Economic Cooperation (Cumulative total as of 2007):

List of Exchange of Notes

Loans: 219.4 billion yen

Grants: 3.7 billion yen

Technical cooperation: 20.1 billion yen

    * Accumulative total as of the end of 2007

Official Development Assistance (ODA):

(a) Japan provides support based on the Country Support Program of Tunisia, come into force in October 2002, mainly on loan and technical support. In providing support in important fields such as agriculture improvement, development and management of water resource, and approach to the environment, Japan is concerned with such aspects as developing human resources, which are mutual challenges in all of those fields.

(b) In March 1999, Japan and Tunisia signed the "Japan-Tunisia Triangular Technical Cooperation Programme for The Promotion of South-South Cooperation in Africa". As a part of the TICAD process, the two countries provide support to other African nations.

RECENT MAJOR PROJECTS (Loan aid):

Borj Cedria Science and Technology Park Development Project (2005), Photovoltaic Rural Electrification and Water Supply Project (2005), Jendouba Rural Water Supply Project (2006 loan), Private Investment Credit Project (2006), National TV Broadcasting Center Project (2006), Water Saving Agriculture Project in Southern Oasis Area (2006)

Cultural Relations:

(a)Tunisian students are sent to Japan as Japanese scholars every year

(b)Film, TV programs, music and sports exchange

(c)Cultural grants available upon requests

(d)Learning exchange

(e)Interactive exchange between cultures

(f)Sister cities solidarity (Seto and Nabul)

(g)NGO interaction

Friendship League:

Japan-Tunisia Parliamentary League

Tunisia-Japan Parliamentary Friendship League

Japan Tunisia Association

Tunisia Japan Friendship Association

VIP Visits

From Japan to Tunisia:

Year	Name
2001	Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Nobutaka Machimura
2003	Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi
2005	Foreign Vice-Minister Katsuyuki Kawai
2005	Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication Heizo Takenaka
2006	Foreign Vice-Minister Shintaro Ito
2008	Foreign Vice-Minister Osamu Uno(March), Vice Minister of Enviroment Ikuzo Sakurai(July)

From Tunisia to Japan:

Year	Name
2000	Foreign Minister Ben Yahia
2001	Foreign Minister Ben Yahia
2003	His Excellency President Mohamed Ghannouchi
2004	Foreign Minister Ben Yahia
2004	Foreign Minister Ben Yahia
2005	His Excellency President Mohamed Ghannouchi
2006	Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah
2008	His Excellency President Mohamed Ghannouchi
2009	Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah
2011	Foreign Minister Mohamed Mouldi Kefi

• Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan on the National Constituent Assembly Election in Tunisia (October 2011)
• Meeting Between Minister for Foreign Affairs Matsumoto and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia Kefi (May 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Concerning the Situation in Tunisia (January 2011)
• Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Seiji Maehara and Tunisian Ambassador to Japan Noureddine Hached (January 2011)
• Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Situation of the Republic of Tunisia (January 2011)
• Visit to Japan by His Excellency Mr. Abdelwaheb Abdallah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia (June 2009)
• Mr. Shintaro Ito, Vice-Minister (Parliamentary) for Foreign Affairs, to visit the Middle East (July 2006)
• Visit to Arab Republic of Egypt and Republic of Tunisia by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi (Outline and Evaluation) (November 2003)
• Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Attend the Ministerial Meeting of the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq, and to Visit Egypt and Tunisia (October 2003)
• The Fifth Japan-Tunisia Joint Committee Meeting (June 2003)
• Japan-Tunisia Foreign Ministers Meeting (Outline) (December 2002)
• Visit to Japan by Mr. Ben Yahia, Foreign Minister of Tunisia (September 2000)

Press Secretary's Press Conference on Tunisia

• Embassy of Japan in Tunisia Web Site (French and Japanese Only)
• Embassy of Tunisia in Japan Web Site