President Kais Saied held talks on Thursday in Paris (France) with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to follow up on the results of the European delegation's visit to Tunisia on June 11, according to a statement from the presidency.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for cooperation and a fruitful partnership between Tunisia and the European Union, particularly in the fields of renewable and clean energy, the economy, higher education, vocational training and other promising areas.

President Kais Saied said at the meeting that Tunisia was "committed to strengthening its relations of friendship and strategic partnership with the European area in a bilateral and multilateral framework".

The meeting also addressed the issue of irregular migration. In this context, the Head of State stressed that what is happening in Tunisia is unnatural and that a new approach is needed to put an end to this phenomenon.

The President of the Republic pointed out that there are criminal networks trafficking in human beings in the south and north of the Mediterranean and that it is necessary to work together to dismantle them.

President Saied stressed that Tunisia does not accept being a transit area (for migrants) or a place of settlement, pointing out that the best solution remains to eliminate the causes and not only to deal with the effects and results, as experience has shown that security approaches alone have led to more victims among the poor and the wretched.

A European delegation had visited Tunisia on June 11 and included, in addition to Commission President von der Leyen, the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

The President of the Commission said: "The European Union is ready to mobilise 900 million euros to support the Tunisian economy". A joint statement was also signed between Tunisia and the European Union, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Tunisians Abroad and the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement were tasked with preparing a memorandum of understanding on the comprehensive partnership package to be approved by Tunisia and the European Union before the end of June 2023.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse