Italy's foreign minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi and his Tunisian counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui pledged to boost the "special strategic partnership" between their countries at a meeting in Rome, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"In the cordial and comprehensive talks, the two ministers confirmed their commitment to continue their efforts to further strengthen the special strategic partnership relations between Italy and Tunisia," the statement said.
Moavero and Jhinaoui's talks centred on "irregular migration flows" and stressed the importance of cooperation between Italy and Tunisia in this area, where an "already intense" dialogue has been established between the two countries, the statement went on.
During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed economic relations and development cooperation – especially in the field of renewable energy sources – and ways of strengthening cultural ties.
Jhinaoui's visit to Rome came after Tunisia said it would summon Italy's ambassador over comments by Italy's anti-migrant interior minister Matteo Salvini that Tunisia "did not export gentlemen" - an apparent reference to the high proportion of Tunisians among Italy's immigrant prison population.
