Reception of the Sixth and Final Tugboat: A Strategic Project for the Modernization of the Port Sector
The reception of the sixth and final tugboat, in the presence of the Director of the Port of La Goulette, Mohamed Chelli, the Director General of Maritime Transport of the Ministry of Transport, Hatem Fkih, the CEO of the Office of Merchant Marine and Ports (OMMP), Khawla Belakhdar, and the French Ambassador to Tunisia, Anne Gueguen, marks the completion of a strategic project to modernize the port sector, carried out within the framework of cooperation between France and Tunisia.
A Project Co-Financed by the French Development Agency (AFD)
Co-financed by the AFD to the tune of 41 million euros, this program, signed in 2021 during the Franco-Tunisian High Cooperation Committee, embodies the depth and constancy of a partnership between the two countries in the service of Tunisian economic development. Beyond the renewal of ships, the AFD has accompanied the OMMP in improving its financial, energy, and environmental management. This program is part of a broader approach to sustainable modernization of Tunisian ports, which also includes actions related to the electrical connection of ships at the quay, energy efficiency, and the solarization of port infrastructure. The new tugboats meet international standards in terms of maritime safety and environmental performance.
A Response to Operational Risk and a Structuring Project
"The renewal of the OMMP fleet is first and foremost a response to a real operational risk," emphasizes Christophe Cottet, Director of the AFD in Tunisia. "Favoring the safety of operations by making port infrastructure more efficient, more competitive, more sober, and better governed is precisely the type of project, both concrete and structuring, that the AFD wishes to develop with its Tunisian partners." Indeed, nearly 98% of Tunisia's foreign trade passes through the maritime route, making Tunisian ports an indispensable link in the national economy. In this context, the renewal of the OMMP's towing fleet represents a structural investment: six modern tugboats have been deployed in the ports of Bizerte, La Goulette, Sousse, Sfax, Gabès, and Zarzis to strengthen the level of safety and quality of port services.
A Concrete Illustration of Franco-Tunisian Cooperation
"This project is a concrete illustration of what Franco-Tunisian cooperation can produce when it tackles strategic issues," affirms the French Ambassador to Tunisia. "France is Tunisia's leading commercial partner, with 12 billion euros in annual exchanges. It is natural that our commitment is also expressed in the infrastructure that makes this trade possible." "Our two countries share a common vision of development: that of an open, well-connected, and environmentally respectful economy," she concludes.
A Project Inscribed in the Continuity of Franco-Tunisian Cooperation
This project is part of the continuity of dense Franco-Tunisian cooperation in the transport sector — urban, rail, and port — where the AFD has been accompanying the improvement of the performance of Tunisian operators for three decades. It testifies to the common commitment of the two countries to build modern, sustainable, and economically developing infrastructure for Tunisia.
