The Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and Tunisia was signed today in Carthage, which revolves around a strategic partnership between the two realities. On the document the initials of the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, of the Dutch colleague Mark Rutte, and of the Tunisian president Kais Saied.
The agreement establishes the allocation by Brussels of 150 million euros to support the Tunisian budget and 105 million to support border control. A point on which Saied would have wanted more. The goal, he explained after convening the National Security Council, is to step up the fight against migrant traffickers. A goal that the EU also sets itself, in particular to stop the flows that leave from the Sahel region on the African coasts.
The Memorandum revolves around not only the issue of migration and macro-financial assistance, there are also three other "pillars".
ECONOMIC RELATIONS – It is the framework within which the EU will give a boost to investments by large, medium and small companies in Tunisia to significantly increase trade between the EU and the North African country.
ENERGY - On the one hand, the EU's need to diversify supplies following the war in Ukraine, on the other, the opportunity for Tunisia to give lifeblood, with European investments and know-how, to the development of renewables. Italy, in particular with the Elmed electricity interconnection project, is a candidate to be the Tunisian energy hub for Europe.
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE – This is the first part named by Ursula von der Leyen in the joint declarations and is all about cultural exchanges, application of the Erasmus + program, more cooperation in research and education. The EU will also use the Talent Partnership programme, thus opening up "new study and work opportunities for young Tunisians", reads the Memorandum.
(Unioneonline/ss)
