TUNIS (TUNISIA) (ITALPRESS) – The Director of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), Roberto Alesse, and the General Commander of the Guardia di Finanza (GDF), Andrea De Gennaro, have signed a Declaration of Intent with Mohammed Hedi Safer, Director of Tunisian Customs.
The signing of this document, which took place in the presence of the Italian Ambassador to Tunisia, Alessandro Prunas, formalizes the bilateral programme of activities between the ADM and the Guardia di Finanza on one side, and the Tunisian Customs Administration on the other.
This customs cooperation includes various operational activities aimed at sharing technical expertise and best practices, as well as organizing study visits—one of which will be held at the Guardia di Finanza’s School of Economic and Financial Police—for the training of Tunisian customs officials. These sessions will focus on procedures for identifying customs violations and the methodologies used in ADM’s chemical laboratories.
The Declaration of Intent is the result of a shared commitment and marks a significant step in the cooperative journey between Italy’s and Tunisia’s customs authorities.
Italy and Tunisia have developed strong economic ties within a comprehensive, forward-looking partnership. Italy is currently represented in Tunisia by over 900 companies. In this context, the customs administrations play a crucial role in ensuring smooth and secure trade flows, enforcing legality, and combating fraud—thus promoting legitimate trade, stability, and economic development in both countries.
This effort is part of Italy’s broader “Mattei Plan” for Africa, a comprehensive and multifaceted plan for economic and financial cooperation. The plan involves both public and private sectors and aims to attract valuable investments across the African continent.
“We are experiencing a complex phase in international relations, full of challenging issues that strongly impact the activities of customs administrations but also provide opportunities to forge strategic alliances between friendly countries. Tunisia is certainly one of these partners. The Agency intends to do its part and will work with Tunisian Customs to develop a concrete proposal to support the implementation of their customs system, ensuring added value and sustainability,” stated Director Alesse.
General De Gennaro emphasized that “with the signing of the agreement, a new phase of cooperation has begun in the fight against smuggling, fraud, and illegal goods trafficking. The goal is to improve the effectiveness of enforcement actions and collaboration between the Guardia di Finanza and Tunisian Customs. Synergies will be promoted to enhance the security of commercial exchanges in the Mediterranean region, while strengthening the protection of public revenue. Support activities and the exchange of information will also benefit from the daily contribution provided by the Guardia di Finanza expert stationed at the Italian Embassy in Tunis.”
-Foto ufficio stampa ADM-
(ITALPRESS).
