A 24-strong business delegation is in Tunisia on a four-day visit to explore trade and investment opportunities in one of Malta’s closest neighbours.

Organised by Malta Enterprise in collaboration with the Maltese Embassy in Tunisia, the trade mission is the second to Tunisia this year after the uprisings that radically altered the business environment.

While some of the participating companies are looking at opportunities in the Tunisian market for the first time, others were following up on contacts made during the earlier trade mission.

Eleven firms had participated in the business delegation in June. Several had established good leads while others even managed to establish a presence in the country and are now trying to strengthening their position within the market with additional meetings.

Around 170 meetings have been pre-arranged for the local businesses by Malta Enterprise and the embassy with the support of the Centre de Promotion des Exportations de la Tunisie, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency in Tunis, and the Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Artisanat.

The meetings, which average out at seven per company, will be held at the CEPEX offices, where Malta Enterprise representatives will also be providing details about Malta’s business environment and promote the island as an ideal location for trade and investment.

Companies participating in the business delegation operate in a wide variety of sectors, including construction, engineering services and architecture, renewable energy, manufacturing and related services, ICT, maritime and tourism services.

In Tunis, the companies will visit the Med Tunis Franchise Fair, a specialised event to attract foreign companies wishing to set up operations in Tunisia and benefit from the opportunities available while helping the Tunisian economy in its growth at this crucial time.