European Union and Tunisia announce progress in building economic and trade ties, and on migration

EU leaders and Tunisia's President announce progress on closer economic and trade relations and measures to combat migrant smuggling. A memorandum was signed, with EU offering over 1B euros in aid and 100M euros for anti-smuggling efforts. EU and Tunisia also agreed to cooperate on border management and student exchanges. EU must now approve the deal, with broad support expected.

European leaders and Tunisia's President announced progress on July 16 in the building of hoped-for closer economic and trade relations and on measures to combat the often lethal smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea.

The leaders of Italy, the Netherlands and the European Commission made their second visit to Tunis in just over a month. They expressed hope that a memorandum newly signed with Tunisia during the trip would pave the way for a comprehensive partnership.

On their last visit in June, the leaders held out the promise of more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in financial aid to rescue Tunisia's teetering economy and better police its borders, in an effort to restore stability to the North African country and to stem migration from its shores to Europe.

This time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte didn't detail the full monetary value of EU aid on offer to Tunisia, in statements they made after talks with Tunisian President Kais Saied.

But Ms. von der Leyen said the latest trip secured agreement on "a comprehensive package of measures that we will now put into practice swiftly.”

Mr. Saied, speaking through an interpreter, said that he expects the memorandum to be followed by “a set of binding agreements” — suggesting more negotiating work ahead.

Tunisia intends to implement the memorandum “in the nearest time possible,” he said.