Tunisia and Algeria plan to link every facet of their transport systems – road, rail, and sea – more comprehensively.
The possibility of building a road linking Tunis to Annaba was raised in a meeting between Tunisian prime minister Mohamed Ghannouchi and Algerian transport minister Mohamed Meghlaoui this week.
The two countries also agreed to work on improving sea and rail links.
Developing the 'logistical chain', which includes transportation, was identified as a key facet of a coordinated policy to facilitate trade between Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco at a conference in November 2005 supported by the IMF.
Trade and finance ministers, along with the governors of the countries' central banks, agreed a package of measures for regional trade cooperation including harmonising trade regulations, joint investment, and simplifying and reducing tariffs.
In September 2006, work will begin on what is being hailed as the world's largest construction project, to traverse Algeria from Annaba in the north-east to Tlemcen in the north-west and link the country directly to Tunisia and Morocco.
The growing economic integration of the Maghreb region with the EU due to Association Agreements signed by Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco has helped power recent economic development.
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Tunisia-Algeria road cooperation
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