European leaders will invest more than 1 billion euros in financial aid as well as investments in undersea data cables and renewable energy in Tunisia in an effort to stem migration from its shores to Europe.
European leaders will invest more than 1 billion euros in financial aid as well as investments in undersea data cables and renewable energy in Tunisia in an effort to stem migration from its shores to Europe.
The president and Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden met Sunday (June 11) with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Tunisia’s president hosted the leaders of Italy, the Netherlands, and the European Commission recently. The upshot of the talk was to smoothen the way for an international financial bailout for the country. The European Union is seemingly interested in clubbing migration issues with the bailout package. Reports indicate that the Tunisian President was not in favor of linking the two issues. He is already on record that Tunisia would not go for a bailout package with conditions attached to it. Recently, www.trendsnafrica.com has carried a report suggesting that Tunisia’s strong man Kais Saied would tax the super-rich to find resources for its development works.
The president and Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden met recently Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. After the talks, the group announced a five-point program to support Tunisia, including up to 1.05 billion euros (US$1.1 billion) in aid for Tunisia’s indebted budget. The plan will be discussed with all 27 EU countries at their next summit. The EU is discussing investment in high-speed broadband and other digital infrastructure for Tunisia and 300 million euros in hydrogen and other renewable energy projects. The plan also includes 100 million euros for Tunisian authorities to carry out search-and-rescue operations for migrants.
Read also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/tunisia-to-tax-rich-to-say-no-to-imf-bailout/
https://trendsnafrica.com/demonstrations-against-imf-bailout-plan-in-tunisia/
Saied stoked racial discrimination when he used abusive language against black Africans. This has led to several people from sub-Saharan Africa fleeing the county in anticipation of more troubles. The international community did not take kindly to his words. To distance himself from his earlier stand, Saied unannounced visited a migrant camp in the coastal city of Sfax, which is a central jumping-off point for boat journeys crossing the Mediterranean to Italy. During his visit, he spoke to families living in the camp and pleaded for international aid for Africans. This sympathetic approach is different from what he spoke about very recently, which created a furore in Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to many including students from other regions leaving the place.
