Commissioner: EU, Mediterranean countries must cooperate to stop illegal migration

The European Union, EU member states and Mediterranean countries must develop mutually beneficial cooperation to stop illegal migration, the commissioner for neighbourhood policy and enlargement said on Tuesday. Oliver Varhelyi told MTI that he had visited Tunisia on Monday, accompanied by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, as well as European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The purpose of the visit was to present to Tunisian authorities the EC's new approach which is based on the assumption that long-term cooperation must be based on mutual benefits, he said. The EU is willing to further increase support to Tunisia if the country cooperates in areas of special importance to the EU, such as stopping illegal migration, he added.