Saudi Arabia crown prince meets President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunisia

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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Tunisia, and was received by Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Tunisia, and was received by Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived in Tunisia, and was received by Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on Tuesday. (SPA)
Updated 28 November 2018
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Saudi Arabia crown prince meets President Beji Caid Essebsi in Tunisia

  • Mohammed bin Salman says the Tunisian people have a special place in the hearts of the Saudi people
  • The visit is the fourth stop on the Crown Prince’s tour of Arab nations

TUNIS: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Tunisia on Tuesday where he was received by President Beji Caid Essebsi.

On arrival, Prince Mohammed said the Tunisian people have a special place in the hearts of the Saudi people.

“It is impossible that I embark on a tour in North Africa without touching down in Tunisia,” the crown prince told Al Arabiya News Channel. He said both countries would work together on boosting ties in the interests of their people.

The visit is the fourth stop on the Crown Prince’s tour of Arab nations, which has so far taken in Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt.

Prince Mohammed was greeted with a ceremonial reception and both the Saudi and  Tunisian national anthems were played and a  guard of honor inspected.

The crown prince was accompanied by the Tunisian president, in an official motorcade, to Carthage Presidential Palace where the two leaders held talks.

Prince Mohammed delivered greetings to Essebsi from King Salman. Talks were also held between the delegations from both countries on developing relations in various fields, and on regional and international issues.

Prince Mohammed also met Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.

The crown prince’s delegation includes Prince Turki bin Mohammed, Advisor at the Royal Court, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel  Al-Jubeir.

The visit lasted several hours, before Prince Mohammed left the country. 

Prince Mohammad sent a cable of thanks to Essebsi.

“The results of our bilateral talks ensure the brotherly relations between our countries, and  the joint desire to deepen cooperation between the two countries in various fields,” the cable said.


Turkiye seals preliminary deals for largest foreign-funded railway project

Turkey's Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu. (AFP file photo)
Updated 59 min 37 sec ago
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Turkiye seals preliminary deals for largest foreign-funded railway project

  • The funding will support the 125 km (78 mile) long Northern Ring Railway Project, which will ⁠carry passengers and freight from Gebze ‌to Halkali via ‌the Yavuz Sultan Selim ​Bridge connecting Istanbul’s ‌two main airports

ISTANBUL: Turkiye ‌has reached preliminary agreements with six international lenders to secure $6.75 billion for a new railway ​line across the Bosphorus in what would be Turkiye’s largest foreign-financed railway project, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday.
Once completed, the line that will pass through north Istanbul is expected to carry 33 million passengers ‌and 30 million ‌tons of freight ​annually, ‌he ⁠said, ​adding that ⁠it will open “a new era in logistics” by boosting the country’s rail capacity between Asia and Europe.
The funding will support the 125 km (78 mile) long Northern Ring Railway Project, which will ⁠carry passengers and freight from Gebze ‌to Halkali via ‌the Yavuz Sultan Selim ​Bridge connecting Istanbul’s ‌two main airports.
Preliminary deals were reached ‌with the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development and the European Bank ‌for Reconstruction and Development, the minister said.
“We aim to complete ⁠the ⁠tender process and hand over the site this year so that (construction) work can start,” Uraloglu said.
An uninterrupted rail freight across the Bosphorus Strait is currently possible through the Marmaray railway tunnel and only during limited hours daily. According to the ministry’s website, a total of just 1.7 million tons of cargo ​were transported through ​Marmaray between 2020 and October 2025.