The EU prepares an economic aid package of 900 million for Tunisia

Saied criticizes those who “continue bothering with their moral lessons” on the treatment of migrants

June 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced this Sunday that the EU is studying an aid package for Tunisia worth up to 900 million euros.

These “macro-financial aid” funds would be delivered “as soon as the necessary agreement is reached,” said Von der Leyen, who has announced that an additional 150 million could be delivered immediately, explained the head of the European Commission from Tunisia.

Von der Leyen has traveled to Tunisia accompanied by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. The aim of this trip is to promote “stability and prosperity” through an aid package that includes five pillars: economic development, investment and trade, energy, migration and person-to-person contact.

Thus, Von der Leyen has opted to improve the bilateral trade agreement and has highlighted the importance of the Medusa project for the construction of a submarine data cable that connects eleven Mediterranean countries with financing of 150 million euros.

In the field of energy, Von der Leyen has highlighted the “tremendous” potential of Tunisia and has referred to the ELMED submarine electrical cable project that will connect Italy and Tunisia.

Regarding migration, the European leader has underlined the “enormous interest” of Brussels in combating the business of human trafficking. “We are working on an association against human trafficking. We are going to support Tunisia in border management,” he stressed, and recalled that this year the EU is contributing 100 million euros to Tunisia for border management, security operations rescue, fight against human trafficking and return.

In the fifth pillar, Von der Leyen has announced a specific “window” for Tunisian youth within the Erasmus+ educational exchange program that will be endowed with seven million euros.

Finally, Von der Leyen has highlighted the EU’s support for the “journey to democracy” started by Tunisia in 2011 and has recognized that this project can be “difficult” at times.

For his part, Meloni has highlighted European support for Tunisia’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has expressed his intention to convene an international summit on migration to be held in Rome.

Meanwhile, Rutte has highlighted the importance of the joint visit to Tunisia and has underlined the “excellent” efforts in the context of migration with a view to a future agreement.

The three have met with the Tunisian president, Kais Saied, a meeting in which the issue of migration has also been addressed, given the growing number of migrants arriving in Italy from North Africa.

SAIED REJECTS BEING AN “OTHER BORDERS” POLICEMAN

Before the appointment with the European leaders, Saied had warned that his country would not become the “police of foreign borders”. “We reject that our country is reduced to the role of a simple policeman who scrupulously watches over the protection of other people’s borders,” said Saied during a visit to the coastal city of Sfax, precisely one of the main starting points of the migratory route by the Mediterranean towards Europe.

Saied has linked this speech with an outright rejection of the accusations that he is accused of encouraging a wave of xenophobic violence against sub-Saharan migrants entering the country.

“We advocate loud and clear in favor of an eminently humanist solution in a collective framework according to standards that preserve human dignity where everyone must contribute to complying with State laws,” said the president in statements collected by the Kapitalis portal.

The president, however, dedicated a few words to the “pseudo defenders of Human Rights” who continue to “disturb with their moral lessons” by proposing the safe opening of migratory routes.

“They should be ashamed to see this dark and gloomy image of a trampled humanity, at the service of the great networks of human and organ trafficking,” added the president, who accused the northern Mediterranean countries of exercising a policy of double standards. .

“When it comes to protecting their countries, they are quick to demand compliance with the law. When they demand things from us on the south shore, the tone changes and the demands are no longer the same,” Saied added. knowing that the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, is part of the European delegation.

The opposition denounces Saied’s authoritarian drift after the arrest of dissident leaders and proceeding with elections boycotted by the opposition that had a 10 percent turnout.

In any case, the EU has debated in recent months how to take steps forward to stabilize the country in the face of economic and social deterioration that has also caused a rise in illegal migration through the central Mediterranean.