Tunisia and Portugal call for reinforced support of the regional cooperation developed within the UfM

Barcelona, 29 May 2015. On 29 May 2015, Pedro Passos Coelho and Habib Essid, Portugal and Tunisia’s Prime Ministers, respectively, chaired the third Bilateral Portugal-Tunisia Summit. The Summit was dedicated to discussing bilateral relations between the two countries as well as regional issues, especially in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) review.

In their final statement adopted at the end of the Summit, the two governments “congratulated the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) for its role in Euro-Mediterranean relations, especially for reinforcing the cooperation and partnership between the two banks of the Mediterranean through the implementation of specific projects”. They indicated that “the dialogue between the North and South Banks of the Mediterranean is crucial for meeting the challenges in the region”. They highlighted that “it is important to bolster the UfM’s role and capacity, especially in terms of finance, and particularly with a view to reviewing the ENP, which both countries support as the regional framework for partnership and cooperation”.

Participating in the Summit, alongside both Heads of Government, was Paulo Portas, the Vice-Prime Minister, as well as the Minister for the Economy and the Secretaries of State in charge of cooperation, investment, competition and finances on behalf of Portugal; and the Ministers for Foreign Trade, Industry and Energy, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister-Counsellor for Economic Affairs representing Tunisia.