TUNIS, June 8 (NNN-TAP) — Tunisia and the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable energy on Tuesday in Tunis.
The document was inked by Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Neila Nouira Gonji and British Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations for South Asia Central Asia and North Africa Lord Tariq Mahmood Ahmad of Wimbledon.
The agreement involves technical and financial support to Tunisia, which would “enhance the mutually beneficial partnership.”
“The MoU demonstrates our shared commitments to make that transition together, to build a partnership that protects the environment, and more importantly creates jobs in Tunisia,” said Ahmad.
The Minister of Energy said “we could benefit from the British expertise in this field, especially that Tunisia has put in place an ambitious programme when it comes to renewable energy, aiming to produce up to 35% of renewable energy from 2022 to 2025.”
The United Kingdom is already the biggest foreign investor in Tunisia’s energy sector, thanks to a previous MoU signed over 20 years ago, said Ahmad.
Alongside the Tunisian partners, British companies not only invested in energy production, but also in the Tunisian people, citing Rolls Royce and Petrofac.
The British Minister of State said the United Kingdom offers Tunisia technical assistance in deployment of renewable energy, as he pointed to Tunisia’s inclusion in multilateral initiatives, such as the £50 million high-impact partnership on climate action fund.
He indicated his country’s advancement in the field of sustainable energy, particularly as the UK hosted the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). — NNN-TAP
