Tunisian President Kais Saied (C) meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the American delegation in Tunis
TUNIS, Oct 1 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tunisian President Kais Saied met on Wednesday with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper over the issues of anti-terrorism and the Libyan crisis during his one-day visit to the country.
They discussed US-Tunisian cooperation in the fields of economy, security, defense, combating terrorism and regional issues of common concern, according to a statement released by the Presidency.
On the Libyan crisis, Saied noted the solution to the crisis should be based on the agreement of all the Libyan factions away from any foreign interference.
He reaffirmed Tunisia’s readiness to provide all facilities for finding a political settlement that preserves the unity and stability of Libya since Tunisia is one of the countries most affected by the situation in Libya.
For his part, Esper said the United States is also ready to contribute to a peaceful solution that would put an end to the crisis in Libya and achieve stability in the region.
Earlier in the day, Tunisian Defense Minister Ibrahim Bartaji signed with Esper a roadmap for military cooperation between the two countries for the period 2020-2030.
According to a statement released by the Defense Ministry, this roadmap aims at increasing the readiness of the Tunisian armed forces and developing their capabilities of facing security threats and challenges in the region. — NNN-XINHUA
