In the framework of strengthening South-South cooperation and consultation, and searching for new and efficient investment opportunities, the Salma Business Dialogue Program (known as the Strategic Alliance for Latin America-Africa Dialogue) organized on January 23 and 24 in the capital the “Salma Business Dialogue Forum,” a leading economic event that brought together a group of influential leaders and key private sector actors from Tunisia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe.
This special meeting was a unique opportunity to facilitate a meeting between specialized actors from Africa and Latin America and to explore economic synergies and build bridges between the continents.
It was also an opportunity to highlight unprecedented opportunities for cooperation and partnerships, and to discuss global economic challenges and prospects among the participating parties.
In his speech to the forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Nafati emphasized Tunisia’s support and openness to all initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between friendly and brotherly countries and promoting economic integration between the countries of the South to reduce the development gap between the peoples of the world and build a more just, prosperous and stable world order.
// Exploiting the enormous potential of South-South cooperation
The Minister highlighted the concern of the countries of the South over the worsening deficit in financing solidarity development, stressing the need for collective action to close this gap to avoid a loss of confidence in international relations and the multilateral system, and for the countries of the South to take collective and coordinated measures to strengthen multilateralism, revive cooperation among them and better exploit the huge potential of South-South cooperation.
Argentina’s Ambassador to Tunisia and Libya José María Arbella expressed the hope that the forum will result in new partnerships, new investment opportunities, and new recommendations for decision-makers. “We have co-organized this forum to achieve more than a meeting of minds, but a meeting of opportunities. Both Africa and Latin America are rich in resources, talents and ambitions. Our mission today and tomorrow is not only to share our knowledge but also to discuss possible complementarities and find new pathways connecting our three regions through investment and trade facilitation.
Executive Director of the Salma Forum for Dialogue Oumaima Magouri stressed that this program, which was launched seven years ago, is not in competition with other forums specialized in South-South dialogue, but rather aims to strengthen what has been achieved and address the current situation and the issues it raises, in addition to narrowing the circle of objectives, such as focusing on Africa and Latin America.
She emphasized that the main goal of the dialogue between different researchers, experts and representatives of public structures and the private sector is to create wealth and improve quality in the South, preserve this wealth and deal with the North on an equal footing.
The forum was organized in collaboration with the Selma Business Dialogue Program, the German Agency for International Cooperation in Tunisia, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Embassy of Argentina in Tunisia, and the Cooperation Office of the Embassy of Switzerland in Tunisia.
The countries of Latin America and Africa are mostly emerging countries with very similar economic and social environments and development challenges. The similarities between the two regions, together with the specificities of each region, will enable the creation of mutually beneficial synergies that can have a positive impact on both sides.
The Salma Business Dialogue Program was launched in 2018 to focus on the socio-economic challenges shared by the two regions and their partners in the North. The program serves as an important catalyst in the context of promoting South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTrC), as well as a catalyst that allows mobilizing the main actors involved in Africa, Latin America and Europe, to create and promote synergies that can overcome barriers and achieve significant impacts in economic and sustainable development and in stimulating innovation.
//Promoting the concepts of sustainable development, equality and justice
The program plan covers the period from 2023 to 2025 with the following objectives: to support and further stimulate South-South and triangular cooperation; to enrich the mutual learning process for the benefit of the various stakeholders involved in the program; to promote the concepts of sustainable development, equality and justice; to form a continental network for sharing experiences and knowledge among the countries participating in the program; to contribute to stimulating economic cooperation and promoting trade partnerships between different continents; to capitalize on successes and facilitate their transfer to other countries in the region; to network among key decision makers and economic leaders.
The forum discussed several topics including: “Effective cooperation mechanisms for trilateral cooperation as a catalyst for economic integration”, ‘Industry as a driver of trilateral cooperation through the automotive sector as a model’, ‘Innovation as a lever to respond to new challenges in high value-added sectors’, and ‘Reducing regulatory barriers to trade and investment’.
The Salma Business Dialogue Forum was organized with the support of “Invest for jobs”, a private initiative “Decent work for a just transition”, through the “Partnerships for Employment and SME Support in Tunisia 2” project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ in Tunisia in cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, the Argentine Embassy in Tunisia, the KAS Foundation and the Swiss Cooperation.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Dhouha Talik – English: NejiMed)
