Italy’s foreign minister pledged on Thursday to strengthen cooperation with Tunisia to combat illegal migration and “terrorism”, a month after a Tunisian failed asylum seeker allegedly killed 12 people in Berlin.
Angelino Alfano, on a one-day visit to Tunis, met with his counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui and President Beji Caid Essebsi and promised closer relations between the two Mediterranean nations.
“We plan to reinforce our ties,” Alfano said following his meeting with Essebsi. “We share the same concerns on important issues such as terrorism and immigration.”
Tunisian Anis Amri, 24, is believed to have hijacked a truck and used it to mow down revellers at a Berlin Christmas market on December 19.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group and prompted calls for security reforms and EU pressure on countries that refuse to take back citizens who have been denied asylum.
Amri, who was reportedly denied asylum in Germany, was shot dead after firing at two Italian policemen who had stopped him for a routine identity check near Milan’s Sesto San Giovanni railway station on December 23.
Tunisia later arrested four people including Amri’s cousin but authorities said they were not linked to the Berlin attack.
