President Schulz on the meeting with Hamadi Jebali, Head of Government of Tunisia

Following his meeting with Hamadi Jebali, Head of Government of Tunisia, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz made the following statement.

"I am honoured and pleased to reaffirm personally to Mr Jebali the support of the European Parliament to the Tunisian people and its new government. I very much value the fact that the first official visit of Mr Jebali in his new capacity as Head of Government is paid to the EU institutions and the European Parliament in particular. It is a strong signal of Tunisia's commitment to further enhance its partnership with the EU.

We both agreed that there is no democracy without social justice, economic development and full respect for human rights, freedom and equality. The EU and Tunisia share the same values.

In order to address the important challenges facing the Tunisian people, the calendar of constitutional reforms should be respected and the EU must concretely support the economic recovery of Tunisia.

I urge the international community and the EU Member States to fulfil their promises stemming from the Partenariat de Deauville, even in these difficult times.

I have assured Mr Jebali that the European Parliament stands ready to support the work of the Constituent Assembly, if required, by sharing experiences and best practices.

I also paid tribute to the Tunisian civil society, in particular youth and women organisations for their constructive contributions to the rebuilding of their country."