TUNIS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia and China have signed a partnership agreement on developing digital economy, the Tunisian Institute for Strategic Studies (ITES) said Tuesday.

The deal was inked during the Belt and Road Digital Economy conference held in Beijing, the ITES said.

This agreement will offer opportunities for young Tunisians, especially those in areas such as telecommunications, fiber optics, network computing and e-commerce, it said.

Neji Jalloul, director general of ITES, noted that the Tunisian-Chinese bilateral trade continues to grow steadily and fruitfully.

"The new Silk Road connects many countries from Asian, European and African continents, allowing everyone more interconnected, to promote economic, cultural and digital exchanges," said Jalloul.

"Tunisia and China have had commercial relations since the Roman times," said Jalloul. "Furthermore, in terms of innovation, Tunisia ranks first among Middle East and North Africa countries and ranks 40th in the world in the same field".

Jalloul believes Tunisia would be an international financial platform in the heart of the Mediterranean region.

"Tunisia has always maintained peaceful relations with its neighbors and is open to all cultures and civilizations, "said Jalloul.

With its location at the crossroads of Europe, the Arab world and Africa, Tunisia "will be a strategic ally to China, to better develop the project of One Belt and One Road Digital Economy," said Jalloul.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Africa and Europe along the trade routes of the ancient Silk Road.