President Kaïs Saïed and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Saturday afternoon, held a phone call, during which they discussed several issues, including irregular migration and the economic and financial difficulties facing Tunisia. The meeting was an opportunity for the Head of State to explain his position on the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressing that the recommendations issued by this monetary institution risk destabilising social peace, the Presidency said in a statement. In this context, the Head of State recalled the events of January 3, 1984, when hundreds of people died after the State decided to stop subsidising grain products and their derivatives. "Civil peace is priceless,» the President emphasised. President Saïed raised the possibility of proposing a new alternative, that of imposing taxes on those who do not need subsidies, in order to ensure the sustainable financing of the subsidy fund. President Saïed added that "just as justice must prevail within countries, it must also govern international relations", stressing that "the whole of humanity aspires to a new era in its history where justice, freedom, security and peace will prevail." The phone call provided an opportunity to review the economic and financial difficulties facing Tunisia "as a result of the failing policies adopted in previous decades, in particular the decade following January 14, 2011", according to the same source. The issue of Tunisians' funds stolen and embezzled abroad was also raised during the call. It also provided an opportunity to discuss the phenomenon of irregular migration. In this regard, the Head of State stressed that solutions cannot be based solely on security, adding that experience has shown the ineffectiveness of this limited approach. In addition, Tunisia "is no longer just a transit zone, but has become a destination for many migrants who have settled there illegally," he added. In order to deal with this worrying phenomenon, the Head of State stressed the need to tackle the root causes of the problem and not just the results and effects, recalling his initiative to organise a high-level conference involving all the countries concerned by this issue. Bilateral relations and the common desire to develop them were also discussed during the phone call. The immediate reforms approved by the International Monetary Fund as a condition for providing Tunisia a loan of 1.9 billion dollars include reducing subsidies on food and energy, restructuring state-owned enterprises and cutting the public sector wage bill.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse