First Tunisian-German Economic Forum Held in Essen

The first Tunisian-German Economic Forum took place in Essen on September 17 and 18. Organized to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the event aimed to strengthen economic cooperation, particularly with the city of Essen.

Key Workshops and Discussions

According to a statement from the Consulate General of Tunisia in Düsseldorf, three workshops structured the proceedings on September 18:

• Labor Market: Focused on specialized workforce, university-business links, and integration.
• Healthcare: Explored cooperation opportunities with Essen, including innovation, technology transfer, market access, and closer ties between companies.
• Industry, New Technologies, and Digitalization: Centered on innovation, skills development, and productive transformation.

Additionally, a roundtable discussed the career paths of Tunisians from different generations. Participants noted that these discussions opened new perspectives, based on an approach of equality between partners.

Potential Extension to Hesse

In a related development, Tunisian Ambassador to Berlin, Wassef Chiha, met with Manfred Pentz, the Minister for Federal, European, and International Affairs of the State of Hesse.

According to a statement published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, the two parties discussed:

• Organizing a joint economic forum.
• Providing training and job opportunities for young Tunisians.
• Strengthening decentralized cooperation, particularly in the area of migration.

Hesse is recognized as one of Germany’s major economic hubs.

Current Status

At this stage, the discussions with Hesse remain at the proposal level, with no specific timeline or budget announced. However, the themes addressed in Essen suggest promising areas of partnership for Tunisian companies, which a potential forum with Hesse could further extend.