This article covers the diplomatic relationship between India and Tunisia: the establishment of relations, visits by leaders and ministers, the Joint Commission and Foreign Office Consultations, agreements under negotiation and cooperation among countries of the Global South. It is based on the MEA brief of April 2026 and reflects the position as of that date.

Establishment of relations

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, India has traditionally maintained cordial and friendly relations with Tunisia since diplomatic relations were established in 1958. The development of the two countries' resident missions is described in the practical guide in this series.

The brief states that Tunisian leaders have long expressed admiration for India's support of anti-colonial struggles in Africa, its democratic traditions and figures such as Mahatma Gandhi. According to the brief, India's freedom movement and its commitment to democracy have been a source of inspiration for Tunisia. It adds that the two countries share values such as secularism, the rule of law, south-south solidarity and the Non-Aligned movement.

Cooperation in international forums

Both countries have cooperated and espoused many common causes in international fora, including the UN. According to the brief, they have supported each other's candidates for several international bodies.

Visits from Tunisia to India

The brief lists the following notable visits:

  • Wassila Bourguiba, First Lady of Tunisia, November 1982
  • Prime Minister Mohamed Mzali, January 1983
  • Habib Boulares, Minister of Foreign Affairs, March 1991
  • Habib Ben Yahiya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, December 2000
  • Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, President of the Ennahda Party, April 2015, who engaged with Indian leaders and students
  • Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche, October 2015, leading the Tunisian delegation to the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit
  • Mongi Marzouk, Minister of Energy & Mines, January 2016
  • Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui, October 2017, for the India-Tunisia Joint Commission
  • Agriculture Minister Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh, February 2025, for the AARDO Conference in New Delhi

The brief places the visits from 2015 onwards after what it calls the spring revolution of 2011.

Visits from India to Tunisia

Early high-level visits from India included those of Vice-President Shri Zakir Hussain in July 1964, Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in April 1984 and Vice-President Shri M. Hidayatullah in May 1984. Prime Minister Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao made a transit visit in November 1992.

Former Prime Minister Shri I.K. Gujral and Dr. Nejma Heptullah, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, visited in November 1999, and Shri A.K. Panja, Minister of State for External Affairs, in 2000. Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari visited Tunisia in June 2016.

Ministers responsible for textiles, science & technology, communications & IT, chemicals & fertilizers, home affairs and external affairs have also visited. The brief names:

  • Shri Kapil Sibal (2005)
  • Shri Dayanidhi Maran (2005)
  • Shri E. Ahmed (2007, 2012)
  • Shri Srikant K. Jena (2013)
  • Shri Salman Khurshid (2014)
  • Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar (2015)
  • Shri M.J. Akbar (2017)
  • Shri Kiren Rijiju (2018)
  • EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar (2020)

Joint Commission and Foreign Office Consultations

Bilateral cooperation is guided by a Ministerial-level Joint Commission and a structured Foreign Office Consultation mechanism. The 12th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held in New Delhi in October 2017, led by Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui. As of the brief, the next session of the JCM was proposed for May/June 2026.

The FOC held its first session in December 2001 and has so far held six Secretary-level sessions. The 6th Session took place in Tunis on 27 March 2026, co-chaired by Dr. Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South), MEA and Mr. Mohamed Ben Ayed, Secretary of State, Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Secretary (South) also paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti.

At the 6th Session, both sides reviewed political engagement, high-level visits, trade and economic cooperation, capacity building, cultural exchanges and people-to-people cooperation. They reaffirmed their cooperation and mutual support at the UN and other multilateral fora, exchanged views on regional and global issues including India-Africa cooperation forums, and underscored the significance of high-level interactions, including the Joint Commission Meeting.

Agreements in process

According to the brief, several MoUs and agreements are currently in process between India and Tunisia. They cover:

  • prevention of human trafficking
  • combating international terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking
  • cyber security
  • mutual assistance in criminal matters
  • avoidance of double taxation
  • preferential trade and bilateral investment
  • traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy
  • maritime transport
  • meteorology and climate
  • mutual recognition of educational qualifications
  • tourism
  • renewable energy
  • technical cooperation in transport and logistics
  • cooperation in digital solutions and digital transformation

South-South cooperation

Tunisia has taken part in the Voice of Global South Summits, in the Foreign Ministers' session (January 2023), the Education Ministers' session (November 2023), and the Energy and IT sessions (August 2024). The brief states that this contributed to discussions under India's G-20 Presidency.

According to the brief, the Indian Mission has engaged with leading Tunisian strategic institutions and think tanks to strengthen South-South cooperation. It facilitated the signing of a Letter of Association in July 2025 between the Center for Mediterranean and International Studies (CEMI), Tunis and RIS, Delhi.

On 17 February 2026, the Mission co-hosted an India-Tunisia Dialogue Forum on Security and Counter-Terrorism in Tunis with the International Center for Strategic, Security and Military Studies (CIESSM). The hybrid forum brought together security and counter-terrorism experts and academics from both countries to discuss combating terrorism, radicalization and post-conflict reintegration.