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Abdellatif Ghedira has been selected as the new execÂuÂtive direcÂtor of the International Olive Council, sucÂceedÂing Jean-Louis Barjol, with his manÂdate lastÂing from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. Ghedira, a Tunisian national and expert in the field, was choÂsen among appliÂcants from Morocco and Spain, and will be assisted by curÂrent deputy direcÂtor Ammar Assabah until April 30, 2016.
Abdellatif Ghedira will be the new execÂuÂtive direcÂtor of International Olive Council (IOC). The assignÂment was decided at the recent 103rd sesÂsion, held in Madrid on November 23 – 26.
The Council of Members decided to nomÂiÂnate Abdellatif Ghedira, of Tunisian nationÂalÂity, who was selected among a group of appliÂcants includÂing Moroccan and Spanish canÂdiÂdates.
Ghedira, now the direcÂtor of the Tunisian National Oil Office, will sucÂceed the curÂrent IOC execÂuÂtive, direcÂtor Jean-Louis Barjol, as the head of the interÂgovÂernÂmenÂtal organÂiÂsaÂtion from January 1, 2016 until December 31, 2019 in a manÂdate that will lasts four years.
Born in Monastir in 1962, and a gradÂuÂate in agriÂculÂtural engiÂneerÂing and water and forestry manÂageÂment, with a post-gradÂuÂate degree (DEA) in geogÂraÂphy, Ghedira is a leadÂing interÂnaÂtional expert in the field and is conÂsidÂered a comÂpeÂtent and approÂpriÂate perÂson for an imporÂtant and cenÂtral role in the future of the world olive secÂtor.
In addiÂtion to havÂing repÂreÂsented his counÂtry as the head of the Tunisian delÂeÂgaÂtion at IOC sesÂsions, he has held the funcÂtion of chief of staff of the forÂmer Minister of Agriculture, Lassaad Lachaal and held sevÂeral posiÂtions within the Ministry, includÂing genÂeral direcÂtor of the Office of State Lands and genÂeral direcÂtor of APIA, the National Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments.
According to the IOC regÂuÂlaÂtion, Ghedira will be assisted by the curÂrent deputy direcÂtor, Ammar Assabah, until April 30, 2016, and then by two new deputy direcÂtors who will be appointed at the 25th extraÂorÂdiÂnary sesÂsion of the IOC, that will be held at IOC headÂquarÂters March 7 – 10, 2016.
The curÂrent Tunisian prime Minister, Habib Essid, occuÂpied the same execÂuÂtive posiÂtion at the IOC from 2004 until 2010, makÂing a deciÂsive conÂtriÂbuÂtion to refiÂnance and give new energy the orgaÂniÂzaÂtion. Now, six years later, a Tunisian returns to serve the imporÂtant funcÂtion.
After the addiÂtion of 35,000 tons per year in privÂiÂleged exports to the European Union withÂout duties until 2017, and becomÂing for the first time the world’s secÂond-largest olive oil proÂducer, the North African counÂtry will have a counÂtryÂman at the helm of the International Oil Council.