The European Council on Friday
adopted the summit's conclusions on "external relations and the
eastern Mediterranean" in which it welcomed the agreement being
negotiated with Tunisia.
It said this was a model to replicate in the future with other
partners in the region.
It said the Council "had a strategic discussion on relations
with the southern neighbourhood and welcomes the work done for a
partnership with Tunisia that is beneficial to both sides".
Italian Premier Meloni's government has made the so-called
'external dimension' of migration - relationships with third
countries such as Tunisia and Libya for the management of
migration flows to Europe - a pillar of its migration policy and
has pushed for a similar approach to be taken at European level
too.
Meloni visited Tunisia twice earlier this month, the second time
with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, as part of an effort to reach
an agreement on migration cooperation with Tunis.
The three European leaders presented a major investment package
and promised diplomatic efforts to help Tunisia land a
1.9-billlion-dollar loan from the IMF to enable it to ease its
severe financial crisis and avert the risk of a default.
The unstable situation in the North African country has been a
major factor in a huge increase in the number of migrants coming
to Italy from across the Mediterranean this year.
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