(Finance) – In the Tunisian presidential palace of Carthage, near Tunis, the Memorandum of Understanding for a partnerships strategic and global between European Union And Tunisia. The European Union released the video of the signing ceremony, which was attended by the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyenthe President of the Council, Georgia Melonsthe premier of the Netherlands, Mark Rutteand the Tunisian president Kais Saied. At the end of the signing ceremony, the meeting between the three European leaders and Saied began, following which statements to the press are expected.
“We have achieved a very important goal which comes after a great deal of diplomatic work. The Memorandum is an important step towards creating a real partnership between the EU and Tunisia”, Meloni declared at the end of the meeting with Kais Saied. The agreement should be considered “a model” for relations between the EU and the countries of the North Africa. The initial goal was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding by the last European Council, held on 29 and 30 June, but there has been a postponement. The agreement with Europe, in the intentions of Brusselsshould also facilitate the release of the financing of the International Monetary Fund from 1.9 billion currently suspended, even if in this case the negotiation is all uphill.
“The partnership with Tunisia – added Meloni – represents for us a model for building new relations with our neighbors in North Africa. The memorandum is a starting point from which various agreements will have to be reached in order to implement the objectives that we have set ourselves”. The Prime Minister then recalled that “next Sunday 23 July in Rome there will be the international conference on immigration which will feature President Saied and with him several heads of state and government of the Mediterranean countries. It is another important step to address the cooperation mediterranean with an integrated approach and I consider it as the beginning of a path that can allow for a different partnership from the one we have had in the past”.
For Ursula von der Leyen today’s agreement is “a good package of measures” to be implemented rapidly “on both shores of the Mediterranean” but he also specified that “themacro-financial assistance will be provided when conditions permit”.
“We have to find ways to collaboration alternatives to those with the International Monetary Fund, which was established after the Second World War. A regime that divides the world into two halves: one half for the rich and one for the poor, which shouldn’t have been there,” said the Tunisian president Kais Saied in statements to the press from Carthage. “The Memorandum should soon be accompanied by implementing agreements” to “make migration humane” and “combat traffickers. Today we have an absolute need for a common agreement against irregular migration and against the criminal network of traffickers”.
“Thanks to everyone and in particular Prime Minister Meloni for immediately replying to theTunisian initiative to organize” a summit on migration with the countries concerned, he concluded.