Algeria, Italy are ready to help Tunisia return to democracy

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said yesterday that his country and Italy are ready to help Tunisia overcome “the current crisis and return to the democratic path.”

This came during a press conference with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on the margins of an official three-day visit made by the Algerian president to Rome, which he began on Wednesday.

“There is a congruence in positions, and sometimes, a wide convergence of views between Algeria and Italy regarding the current issues of the region,” Tebboune said.

Tebboune announced that his country, along with Italy, is ready “to provide the necessary assistance to help Tunisia overcome its current crisis and return to the democratic path.”

He also stated that Algiers and Rome “do not seek to attain any interest in Libya and are ready to support its stability … to hold legislative elections that give authority to people and build a state on democratic foundations.”

For his part, the Italian president stated that he spoke at length with his Algerian counterpart “about crises such as Libya, and there is a convergence of views.”

“We also talked about the necessity of supporting the Tunisian economy and establishing the foundations for democracy (..) Algeria and Italy have only one interest which is supporting the Tunisian people,” Mattarella added.

Since 2011, Libya has witnessed a political and security crisis due to the internal dispute over power. While Tunisia has witnessed a political crisis since last July, when President Kais Saied cited Article 80 of the constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi, freeze the work of parliament for 30 days, lift the immunity of ministers, and appoint himself as head of the executive authority until the formation of a new government.

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