Tunisia and Russia are celebrated, July 11, the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. An occasion that recalls a history of cooperation in various fields, initiated in 1956 shortly after Tunisia’s independence and which has continued for seven decades on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.
Tunisia’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov exchanged congratulatory messages on Saturday, in which they reaffirmed the depth and strength of the friendship and cooperation relations binding Tunisia and Russia, which are founded on the long-standing and deeply rooted historical and economic ties between the two friendly peoples.
They commended the privileged level of bilateral relations, which have continued to develop over the past seven decades and are based on a dialogue founded on mutual respect, shared interests, and fruitful cooperation in numerous fields, notably agricultural, economic, scientific, cultural, and technical.
They also reaffirmed shared willingness to continue fostering the friendship and cooperation relations between the two countries by exploring new opportunities for cooperation in promising, high-value-added sectors, in order to meet the aspirations of the two friendly peoples, while continuing their consultations within the various regional and international organisations and bodies.
The Russian Embassy in Tunis recalled in a statement that the Soviet Union and Tunisia had proceeded, in the 1960s, to the reciprocal appointment of ambassadors, thus marking the beginning of a gradual development of bilateral political and economic relations.
It also launched programmes to enable Tunisian students to pursue studies in universities in the Soviet Union.
It pointed out that the tourism sector currently ranks among the main cooperation fields between Russia and Tunisia.
“In 2019, at the peak of the tourist season, nearly 650,000 Russian citizens visited Tunisia,” the same source stated, estimating that this sector holds strong potential for growth and fostering bilateral relations.
The embassy indicated that the Tunisian-Russian intergovernmental joint commission for trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation contributes significantly to the development of relations between the two countries.
It recalled that the first meeting of the commission had been held in March 1999, while the 8th meeting in November 2024, co-chaired by Russian Minister of Labour and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov and Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development Samir Abid.
It also indicated that regular high-level contacts contribute to cement the partnership between Russia and Tunisia, recalling the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Tunisia in December 2023, during which he had been received by President Kais Saïed, and his meeting with Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti on December 20, 2025, on the sidelines of the second ministerial conference of the Russian Partnership Forum.
“Cooperation between Russia and Tunisia has seen development in the agricultural and agri-food sectors,” the same source specified, indicating that Tunisia is among the top five trading partners of Russia on the African Continent.
The two countries agree on the need to establish a just and multipolar world order, based on full respect for the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, foremost among which are the principle of the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.
Russian Ambassador to Tunisia Alexandre Zolotov stated that Tunisia is a traditional and reliable partner for Russia in North Africa and the Middle East, highlighting a shared willingness to continue scaling up bilateral cooperation in various fields and strengthening political dialogue between the two sides.
In an exclusive interview granted to TAP on the occasion of the 17th International Economic Forum held on May 12-17, 2026, in Kazan, Russia, the Russian diplomat pointed out “an increase in the volume of trade between Tunisia and Russia to more than USD 1.8 billion and a growing presence of Tunisian products, notably olive oil, on the Russian market”.
He also underlined “a renewed interest from Russian tourists in the Tunisian destination despite the lack of direct flights”.
He indicated that the volume of trade between the two countries is about USD 1.8 billion, adding that it has tripled in recent years.
TunisianMonitorNews (TAP English Desk)
