Tunisia open to Chinese investment: senior official

TUNIS - "Tunisia is open to Chinese investment," said Mabrouk Korchid, Tunisian minister of State Domains and Land Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently.

"The visit of Chinese businessmen delegation in Tunisia this week was a good opportunity to exchange views on Chinese development and investment potentials on Tunisian territory," said Mabrouk.

"Chinese people have built mega-projects benefiting all over the world, more precisely on our African continent," he insisted.

Mabrouk said "after about a year, the project of Tunisia Diplomatic Academy will finally see the day with a pure Chinese funding of about 200 million yuan ($31.8 million)."

"We are very aware of the importance of such a project since, on the one hand, it will further strengthen the partnership between Tunisia and China. On the other hand, it will contribute to the training of future African diplomats, which will consolidate the position of Tunisia and its regional influence," said Mabrouk.

According to Mabrouk, the southeast and southwest areas in Tunisia are the priority areas for regional development and foreign investment.

"For example, the province of Medenine in southeast Tunisia enjoys a wide coastline, an airport and a seaport with strong potentials for foreign investments," said Mabrouk .

"Other provinces in central, northwest or east coast Tunisia also present as fertile areas for a partnership investment, especially in agriculture, industry including phosphates, mining and energy products," he continued.

"We still have shortcomings in the field of the Tunisian land registry, which continue to be an issue for foreign investors," confessed the Tunisian minister, adding that "cadastre was added to the provisions of bilateral agreement between Tunisia and China, to solve the land problems in Tunisia."