(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, May 17 (KUNA) -- The European Union and Tunisia on Friday reviewed their bilateral relations and discussed the next steps regarding their privileged partnership.
"Today's meeting allowed us to review our privileged partnership. I am happy to see excellent progress in a particularly fruitful year, notably in supporting the ambition of Tunisia's youth," EU High Representative Federica Mogherini told a press conference after the 15th EU-Tunisia Ministerial Council in Brussels
Both sides signed off financing of 60 million euro (USD 67 million) for Tunisian young people, especially youth in socio-economic vulnerable situations, she announced.
"Tunisia is a valuable example of democratic consolidation, and the EU remains more committed than ever to support Tunisia in its path of structural reform," noted Mogherini.
On his part, Khemaies Jhinaoui, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, told the joint press conference that the meeting "was an opportunity for us to review what has been done over the last years."
"A lot has been done in order to improve access for Tunisian researchers, educated people, to make it possible for them to better benefit from the European labour market and to make it possible from them to profit from the EU's Horizon 2020 program," he said.
A joint statement released after the meeting said they discussed the opportunities and challenges posed by migration, and expressed their commitment to enhance cooperation in this area, and to move forward in the visa facilitation and readmission negotiations to conclude them as soon as possible.
The EU welcomed the progress made by Tunisia in meeting international and European standards in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, and will continue to support this.
"We reiterated our willingness to continue and to deepen our common reflection on the future of EU-Tunisia relations post 2020, in order to explore ways of deepening our partnership," it said.
The meeting also exchanged views on regional issues of common interest, including the situation in Libya, Syria, the Middle East and the situation in the Sahel. (end)
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