Tunisia wants to capitalize on accelerating digital transformation to modernize its administration. For that project, the North African country sees Japan as a key partner. 

On Tuesday, October 10, Tunisia's Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji (photo, left), and his Japanese counterpart for Digital Transformation, Taro Kono (photo, right), signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of digital transformation and modern technologies.

The memorandum, signed on the sidelines of Mr. Ben Neji's current visit to Japan, covers e-government, digital transition, experience sharing, data analytics, e-payment, digital identity, cloud, artificial intelligence solutions, and more.

"This memorandum is also a translation of the commitment of both countries to strengthen and open the horizons of cooperation between Tunisia and Japan to benefit from global best practices and opportunities available in the fields of digital transformation and modern technologies to develop government services for citizens and institutions, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and support sustainable development goals," said the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies in a statement.

The signing of this memorandum of understanding is part of the actions undertaken by the Tunisian government in recent months to promote digital transformation. It comes a few months after the signing of a memorandum of understanding with China to promote collaboration in several areas, including digital infrastructure, research and innovation, skills development, digital technology development, cybersecurity, the digital economy, and the exchange of expertise.

The new protocol will enable Tunisia to take advantage of Japanese expertise and make considerable progress towards achieving the objectives of its digital strategy, which is due to be implemented by 2025. It will also enable Japan to "benefit from Tunisia's experience in several e-government projects, in particular the digital identity project, information exchange, cybersecurity regulation and the encouragement of startups," said Taro Kono.

Samira Njoya