Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Tunisia on Thursday on an unannounced visit as Italy seeks a wider role in North Africa and battles illegal migration. 

Meloni held talks with Tunisian President Kais Saied on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including migration and efforts to combat human trafficking. According to the statement from the Italian government, the meeting also provided “an opportunity to review the excellent cooperation on migration and the joint efforts in fighting criminal networks of human traffickers at the same time as promoting legal migration paths, also in the context of the Rome Process.” 

They also discussed the so-called Mattei Plan, an initiative that aims to curb irregular migration by strengthening economic partnerships between Italy and African countries through energy cooperation and development aid, the statement noted.

Why it matters: Under Meloni, Rome has sought to economically support Tunisia — which is battling an economic and financial crisis — as part of wider efforts to stem irregular migration from the North African coast toward Italy.