(MENAFN- IANS) Cairo, Sep 11 (IANS) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with Tunisian Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri in Cairo and discussed enhancing bilateral relations and regional coordination, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Both sides agreed on "the importance of continuing to develop joint cooperation in various fields, especially with the 18th session of the Joint Higher Committee being held in Cairo, serving as a strategic platform for deepening cooperation and exploring new prospects for integration, particularly in the trade and investment sectors," the statement said on Wednesday (local time).

Sisi and Zenzri underscored the need to intensify coordination and cooperation between the two countries "to confront the challenges facing the region and to work to resolve regional crises," it added.

The two sides further stressed the importance of encouraging the private sectors in both countries to implement joint development projects in Africa, "strengthening the Egyptian and Tunisian presence within their regional surroundings."

The Egyptian-Tunisian Joint Higher Committee meetings are scheduled to kick off at Egypt's New Administrative Capital on Thursday with the opening session co-chaired by the prime ministers of both countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

The meetings, including those of the Egyptian-Tunisian Business Council, are expected to cover areas of cooperation such as renewable energy, digital transformation, agriculture, and transportation, alongside reviewing new private sector investment opportunities.

This comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Amid this, Tunisia and Iran on Wednesday voiced support for Palestinians and called for stronger international action over the Gaza war during talks in Tunis between their foreign ministers.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti said after meeting his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi that the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, medicine and other fields, according to state news agency TAP.

Nafti said the talks reaffirmed Tunisia's solidarity with Iran against threats to the Arab-Islamic region and welcomed Tehran's renewed cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, calling it a step toward easing regional tensions.

Araghchi, on a working visit to Tunis, described relations with Tunisia as "fraternal and solid." He said the two countries were committed to expanding economic, scientific and cultural ties, and announced plans to convene the joint economic commission soon. He also invited Nafti to Tehran.

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