EC President Ursula von der Leyen and Tunisian President Kais Saied at a meeting in Tunis on June 11, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The EU is ready to offer Tunisia 900 million euros in long-term aid plus 150 million euros in immediate support in a bid to strengthen their relationship.

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said that both the EU and Tunisia have a vast interest in breaking the cynical business model of smugglers and traffickers. She said other joint projects with the bloc would help Tunisia export clean renewable energy to Europe, and deliver high-speed broadband, all with the aim of creating jobs and to “boost growth here in Tunisia.”

Despite being saddled with huge debts due to the pandemic, economic crisis with inflation and soaring unemployment, Tunisian President Kais Saied has so far dismissed the pressures related to immigration records that the EU has showed. He announced that Tunisia would not accept becoming a border guard for European countries.