Brussels, 06/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU is ready to resume talks with Tunisia as soon as possible with a view to granting that country additional trading advantages, the European commissioner for relations with neighbouring countries, Stefan Füle, said on Tuesday 6 September.
During a meeting in Brussels with Minister of the Interior of Tunisia Habib Essid, Füle underlined in a Commission press release “the EU's readiness to restart negotiations with Tunisia on the 'advanced status' as soon as possible, in light of the political reforms being implemented in the country and the willingness to establish a privileged partnership with the democratic Tunisia”. In 1995, the EU had concluded an association agreement with Tunisia then under the leadership of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. That agreement already contained a major chapter on trade. Talks began in May 2010 but rapidly became bogged down.
The EU and Tunisia also evoked the idea of swiftly beginning dialogue on migration, mobility and security with a view to concluding a “mobility partnership”, which would establish “a mutually satisfactory cooperation on migration and mobility of people”, the Commission adds.
After the Tunisian revolution, the EU undertook to support the democratic transition in Tunisia and above all increased from €80 to 130 million its cooperation aid for 2011, support for strengthening of the civil society and aid to disadvantaged rural zones. (L.C./transl.jl)