Tunisia and the United States are working to strengthen their strategic defense partnership ahead of the Tunisian-American joint military commission, scheduled for the first week of September in the United States. On Friday, July 24, 2026, Tunisia's Minister of National Defense, Khaled Shili, spoke by phone with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Daniel Zimmerman. Their discussions focused on the current state of bilateral military cooperation, prospects for its enhancement, and preparations for the upcoming joint military commission meeting. Khaled Shili highlighted the historical friendly relations between Tunisia and the United States, praising the level of military cooperation and the results of their strategic partnership, which he described as being based on trust, mutual respect, and common interest. The Minister expressed Tunisia's confidence in the work of the upcoming joint military commission, believing it will be an opportunity to assess achievements in bilateral cooperation and set priorities for the next phase to elevate the partnership. Tunisia aims to expand cooperation into areas such as strengthening operational capabilities of armed forces, developing military training programs, and intensifying collaboration in emerging fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, maritime security, border surveillance, and technology transfer. Khaled Shili also emphasized Tunisia's ambition to become a regional hub for mili
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The Tunisian National Bar Association issued a statement on Friday, July 24, 2026, expressing concern over the country's political, economic, and social situation. This statement comes amidst critical discussions about the national situation, including remarks from Slaheddine Selmi of the UGTT trade union, who criticized the country for not fulfilling its promises, citing economic and social challenges. The Bar Association, while reaffirming its commitment to republican values, freedom, justice, and the rule of law, believes the current situation's severity necessitates an alert regarding the decline in public services and the lack of adequate responses to accumulated crises. The institution highlighted rising prices, decreased purchasing power, increased unemployment and poverty, and repeated water and electricity cuts, which it views as undermining citizens' right to a dignified life. Regarding the judiciary, the Bar Association acknowledged the presidential pardon granted to 2,439 detainees but criticized the lack of transparency regarding the criteria used by the commission for special pardons and conditional releases. It also regretted the absence of defense representatives on this commission and called for prison system reform. The statement also addressed the prosecution of lawyers in the course of their professional duties, noting that some detentions raise questions about fair trial guarantees and defense rights. The institution expressed support for journalists, act
Italy has dispatched a Canadair water bomber aircraft to Tunisia to assist in fighting ongoing wildfires across several regions. The deployment, announced by the Italian Embassy in Tunisia on Thursday, July 24, 2026, is coordinated by the Italian government through its Civil Protection Department and falls under the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The aircraft, belonging to the Italian National Fire Brigade Corps, is activated as a rescEU-IT resource, part of the European Union's capabilities for natural disaster response in member states and partner countries. This intervention aims to bolster Tunisia's firefighting efforts, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, as the country faces high temperatures and winds that exacerbate fire spread. The mission highlights cooperation between Tunisia, Italy, and the European Union in disaster management, coordinated with Italian institutions including the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in conjunction with the European Commission. The deployment also underscores the role of the rescEU initiative in strengthening European disaster response capabilities, especially for large-scale fires increasingly common due to climate change.
Slaheddine Selmi, Secretary General of the Tunisian General Labor Union UGTT, delivered a strong speech on Friday, July 24, 2026, ahead of Republic Day. He stated that promises of development, anti-corruption efforts, and improved living conditions over the past five years have been replaced by a widespread crisis. Selmi urged a review of public policies and a return to dialogue, emphasizing that Republic Day should reaffirm foundational principles like freedoms, justice, balance of powers, and the role of independent national organizations. He noted that the current reality for Tunisians, marked by declining purchasing power, rising cost of living, and deteriorating public services in health, education, transport, electricity, water, medicine, and social security, is contrary to initial promises. Selmi criticized the centralized decision-making, marginalization of national organizations and civil society, and lack of dialogue, which he believes have heightened tensions and eroded trust. He called for authorities to revise public policies, boost investment, and protect public enterprises, reiterating the union's opposition to any privatization. Selmi also defended public sector employees, stating they are not responsible for service dysfunctions as they do not set policies or budgets. He outlined UGTT's vision, which includes dialogue, social welfare protection, public enterprise recovery, social security reform, equitable tax justice, anti-corruption measures, productive inv