Returning from the diplomatic mission to Pakistan, the Executive Director, Abdellatif Ghedira, and the Head of the External Relations Department, Mounir Fourati, reached Tunis for an official meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Mahmoud Elias Hamza. The meeting was very cordial and the working session with the IOC Executive Secretariat was fruitful. At the end of the meeting, an official note from the Tunisian government detailed the topics discussed. In particular, the current situation and prospects for international cooperation with the Tunisian government were discussed. The officials also discussed the upcoming participation of the Tunisian delegation at the 114th session of the Council of Members in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 24, 25 and 26 November 2021. The Minister was also informed of the modalities of IOC support to the Training Centre of the National Olive Oil Board. Preparations for Tunisia’s participation in the 21st edition of Expoliva in 2023 were also on the agenda of the meeting, as Tunisia will be the guest of honour at the event. The visit of the IOC representatives to the Tunisian government also confirmed the mutual interest in strengthening cooperation in the field of scientific research at the international level.
“These issues are all very topical,” the Executive Director said in a statement, “as they are common interests already provided for in the International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, which the Executive Secretariat is tasked with supporting and promoting to member countries in order to strengthen their presence and that of the IOC standard in international markets.”