Economically developed countries would be wiser to use their resources to prevent famine in Africa, and not to trade in weapons, a local news outlet has reported, citing a statement made by Tunisian President Kais Saied.
According to the agency, the nation's leader took part in a migration-focused conference held in Rome.
"The current crisis is a logical consequence of the migration flows that preceded it in the conditions [...] and colonialism, criticizing the determination of developed countries to sell weapons to African countries in order to exacerbate tensions [...] It would be wiser [...] to use this wealth spent on the arms trade to prevent famine in Africa," the agency said in a statement.
The president also stressed that migration networks and human trafficking generate illegal income estimated at $150 billion a year and threaten 25 million people worldwide.
Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the results of the conference on migration held in Rome would be sent to the UN Secretary-General. Italy intends to organize a new meeting with the participation of donors.
The prime minister noted that in order to combat illegal migration, Rome considers it necessary to work "on the external dimension" of the migration problem through strategic cooperation with African countries.