On the occasion of his official visit to Tunisia, Antonio TAJANI, EP President, addresses in the plenary session.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

EU - Tunisia (T)

Tunisia

THOMSEN, Britta (S&D, DK)

KLAVINS, Paulis (LV)

Official visit by Antonio TAJANI, EP President to Tunisia: extracts from the address in the plenary session

Presentation by Mohamed ENNECEUR, President of the ARP

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I came to tell you is that we must be the guarantors of the democratic pact. Let's reinforce it because there is no alternative, otherwise chaos. It is important that local elections in Tunisia can be held in the best conditions, they are necessary for the anchoring of democracy

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Let us also be at the forefront together to provide concrete answers to the concerns of our fellow citizens., concerns about rising unemployment, especially that of young people, worry about the deteriorated security situation, fear of global warming, fear of decommissioning

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, If I today came to Tunisia, it is to write with you answers to these challenges We must have an intelligent approach to migration. the question is not to take the best elements, but to consolidate a circular approach to migration, this is why we consider that visa facilitation for Tunisian businessmen, researchers and cultural actors remains a desirable goal for all of us On 18 October 2017, the European Commission presented measures to strengthen cooperation with Tunisia, notably to fight against terrorism and organized crime. These measures plan to propose by the end of the year, the opening of negotiations for the exchange of personal data between Europol and Tunisia

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President,  We have an obligation to tackle the root causes that drive thousands of people on their way to exodus; It is our honor. We all know it: the causes of these departures are multiple; desertification linked to climate change, famine recurrence, population growth, poverty, disease, terrorism, instability, corruption ....

SOUNDBITE (French), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, I would also like to give you a figure, that of an ambition for Africa, with 40 billion euros and an even stronger action by the European Investment Bank. It is entirely possible to change the destiny of Africa, to give hope and work to this continent while creating growth in Europe. I want this 40 billion to figure in the next budget of the European Union