Tunis: Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mounir Ben Rjiba, chaired on Tuesday the second session of political consultations between Tunisia and Turkmenistan, held virtually with Turkmen Deputy Foreign Minister, Ahmet Gurbanov. Ben Rjiba stressed Tunisia's willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation relations and develop them towards new horizons in areas of common interest such as investment, trade, tourism, culture, sports and diplomatic training, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister highlighted the friendly relations between Tunisia and Turkmenistan since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries on November 30, 1992. He reviewed "the main developments that Tunisia has witnessed in recent years as part of the reforms launched by the President of the Republic in response to the aspirations of the Tunisian people," the statement said. For his part, the Turkmen Deputy Foreign Minist er praised the excellent level of friendship between the two countries and expressed his country's determination to develop bilateral cooperation in various fields. During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways to promote and develop Tunisian-Turkmen relations by strengthening the legal framework between the two countries, continuing coordination and consultations within the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and exchanging support for candidacies in international organisations. Ben Rjiba and Gurbanov exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest, in particular the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In this context, the Foreign Minister stressed "Tunisia's firm position and full support for the brotherly Palestinian people and their struggle to regain their legitimate and inalienable historic rights to establish their independent and sovereign state on all their territories with Al-Quds as its capital". He reiterated Tunisia's stron g condemnation of the ongoing brutal aggression and genocidal war by the occupation forces against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Ben Rjiba also stressed the need to put an end to their brutal aggression, to oblige the occupation forces to implement the UN resolutions and expedite the provision of all necessary guarantees for the protection of the Palestinian people. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse