Italy is pushing for an agreement between Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund that takes into account the country’s economic and social reality, said Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni, who is making a friendship and working visit to Tunisia Tuesday, at the invitation of President Kais Saied, was speaking after a meeting with the President at the Palace of Carthage Tuesday.
She said she has raised this issue in the meeting that brought together the G7 countries in Hiroshima, Japan last May, as well as at the meetings of the European Union in Brussels.
Meloni stressing the need for the approach to be ‘pragmatic and realistic’ so that Tunisia can obtain funding opportunities from the European Union, which she said ‘is currently preparing for them’.
Italy is pushing to support Tunisia’s efforts to resolve the economic and social crisis by opening a funding line, announcing that pound 700 million will be injected to Tunisia to support priority life sectors such as health and services «in full respect of Tunisian sovereignty.»
She highlighted the importance of the existing cooperation between Tunisia and Italy, “who have a historical relationship and have always been cooperative.”
The Italian PM stressed her country’s keenness to always push for Tunisia’s growth, development and stability in the context of democracy, and to find realistic solutions through job creation, in order to «establish a standard of living worthy of Tunisians.»
Meloni reviewed the decades-old Tunisian-Italian cooperation, noting that more than 900 Italian companies are based in Tunisia. She also spoke of the new cooperation in the energy field, through the ELMED project, which connects the two shores of the Mediterranean.
She stressed that the Tunisian-Italian cooperation aims to strengthen the comprehensive approach, which is a ‘continuation of long-term cooperation’ in employment and reduction of irregular migration.
In this context, she expressed Italy’s appreciation for the efforts made by Tunisia to address irregular migration, which it said “starts mainly from the Sfax region.
Meloni said an international conference will soon be held in Rome to address this phenomenon, by adopting an “unconventional approach” in this direction, stressing that this conference will be an opportunity to bring together the views of Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund.
During his meeting with Meloni Tuesday, President Saied rejected any «diktats that may cause the situation to explode which will affect not only civil peace in Tunisia only, but also extend to the entire region without exception.»
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse