Parliamentary Cooperation : Imed Derbali Received in Yamoussoukro by Kandia Camara

Strengthening parliamentary cooperation between Tunisia and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire was at the heart of a meeting held last Wednesday between the President of Tunisia’s National Council of Regions and Districts, Imed Derbali, and the Speaker of the Ivorian Senate, Kandia Camara, at the Senate headquarters in Yamoussoukro.

Guest of honour at the official opening of the Ivorian Senate’s first ordinary session for 2026, Mr Derbali said the invitation was “a sincere illustration of the depth of fraternal relations and the spirit of parliamentary solidarity among the countries of the African continent,” according to a statement released on Friday by the National Council of Regions and Districts.

He reaffirmed Tunisia’s steadfast commitment to strengthening bonds of fraternity and cooperation with African countries, on the basis of mutual respect, solidarity and shared interests, while underscoring its pledge to defend common African positions—foremost among them the right of the continent’s peoples to fair and inclusive development—in support of an Africa that is safe, united, stable and prosperous, and in control of its resources and natural wealth.

Mr Derbali also noted that cooperation between Tunisia and African countries continues to grow in importance, highlighting the National Council of Regions and Districts— a constitutional institution created for the first time in Tunisia’s history as part of a new parliamentary experience— and its determination to open up to all African parliaments, particularly assemblies with shared areas of competence.

He added that his participation in this first official visit to an African parliament reflects, in practical terms, the Council’s resolve to press ahead in supporting cooperation and partnership efforts, developing channels of communication, and exchanging successful experiences, in service of the desired economic integration and sustainable development among the continent’s countries.

In this context, he stressed that parliamentary cooperation will remain a key pillar and an effective driver for strengthening relations in other areas, including development, the economy and investment.

For her part, the Speaker of the Ivorian Senate praised the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia, saying the visit reinforces the shared commitment to further develop these relations through parliamentary diplomacy.

The two leaders agreed on the need to intensify their cooperation, notably by establishing parliamentary friendship groups, exchanging expertise and successful experiences, and strengthening cooperation between the two institutions.

They also underscored the central role of both councils, Tunisian and Ivorian, in consolidating democracy, enhancing inclusiveness and contributing to sustainable development, expressing a shared ambition to promote African integration and partnerships among countries of the Global South.