Tunisian FM, EU envoy meet on terrorism, illegal immigration issues

Tunis, Nov 26 (IANS) Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi met with visiting EU’s Special Representative for Sahel Africa, Emanuela Del Re on cooperation against terrorism and illegal immigration.

Jerandi told the EU envoy that the Sahel region and the EU are closely connected in terms of their respective security, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The African and European sides should work together to establish peace and security in the Sahel region, especially in finding comprehensive solutions to terrorism and addressing its deep causes such as poverty, marginalization and food insecurity, he added.

Noting that Tunisia is among the transit countries impacted by illegal immigration into Europe from the Sahel region, the Tunisian Foreign Minister urged the European side and the various intervening humanitarian organisations to adopt a renewed approach based on the principles of solidarity and equal development between the countries concerned.

For her part, Del Re stressed the continuation of consultations with Tunisia on the issue of illegal immigration, Xinhua news agency reported.

She lauded Tunisia’s key role in upholding the region’s stability, given the important trust it enjoys from regional countries and its contributions to regional peace and security efforts.

–IANS

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