Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni visited Tunisia on Wednesday for talks with President Kais Saied and to sign several agreements related to the government's Mattei Plan. The plan sets out to create a new partnership with African countries to address the root causes of irregular migration and turn Italy into a sort of hub for energy supplies.
Meloni was instrumental in bringing about an EU deal with Tunisia for a strategic partnership featuring financial support and cooperation on combating human traffickers, among other things, following a big increase in the number of migrants arriving in Italy from North Africa. It was Meloni's fourth visit to Tunisia in 10 months but the first specifically regarding the Mattei plan. The agreements signed on Wednesday regarded support for the Tunisian State budget for energy efficiency and renewable energy; credit for Tunisian small-and-medium-sized enterprises; and a memorandum of understanding between the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research and its Tunisian counterpart. (HANDLE).