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Italy’s Meloni pledges Tunisia $750 mln aid, support for crucial IMF bailout


Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to grant Tunisia $750 million in aid and to back it in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a crucial bailout.

The announcements, after talks on Tuesday with Tunisian President Kais Saied, indicate the importance of the troubled North African country, which is a major embarkation point for illicit migration across the Mediterranean.

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Avoiding an economic meltdown in Tunisia is a priority for Meloni as the birthplace of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings continues to struggle following its revolution. Further turmoil would risk spur-ring yet more migration — heaping pressure on the right-wing leader on an issue that was pivotal to her 2022 electoral success.

Italy plans to open €700 million ($748 million) in credit lines to mostly support vital services such as health care, Meloni said in remarks posted on the Tunisian presidency’s Facebook page. Italy will also seek to “bridge viewpoints between the IMF and Tunisia during an international conference around the issue of irregular migration to be held in Rome,” she said without specifying a date.

“The approach has to be pragmatic so that we can help Tunisia,” she said.

During his meeting with Meloni, Saied renewed his rejection of what he termed diktats in the talks with the IMF, warning they could ignite instability in Tunisia and beyond. He raised with Meloni the idea of debt relief through the conversion of Tunisian debt into “private development projects,” according to the presidency.

“Those who provide ready-made prescriptions are like a doctor who prescribes the medicine before diagnosing the disease,” he said.

While IMF assistance is seen as key to shoring up an economy battered by soaring prices and high youth unemployment, the Tunisian government has yet to finalize the wide-ranging reforms, including potentially painful cuts in state spending, necessary to secure a final deal.

Tunisia, where Saied is accused by opponents of trying to restore one-man rule after assuming greater powers in 2021, has been a major staging point for illicit crossings, both by Tunisians and others from the continent.

The migration issue is “worsening by the day and calls for an in-ternational dialogue,” Saied said, blaming lawless foreign migrants and what the presidency termed “organ- and human-trafficking criminal gangs in sub-Saharan Africa and northern Mediterranean countries for the surge in crossings.”

“The roads no longer lead to Rome alone, they now also lead to Tunis,” he said, stressing how some foreign migrants elect to stay in Tunisia instead of using it as a springboard to Europe.
Italy’s migration policy has been criticized by other European nations. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said last month that Meloni’s cabinet was “incapable of fixing Italy’s migration problems,” rekindling a diplomatic row between the two countries.

At least 23,091 migrants were intercepted while trying to illicitly cross by boat from Tunisia to Italy between January and May this year, according to FTDES, a Tunisian non-governmental organization. About 3,430 Tunisians reached Italy, including 865 minors, while 534 people died in attempts, the data show.

Read more: IMF says ‘almost there’ in lining up financing for Tunisian $1.19 bln rescue package

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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