(TAP) - Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, on Tuesday, urged Italy, as member of the European Union (EU), to support Tunisia's request to be removed from the EU Blacklist of high-risk countries for money laundering and terrorist financing.

"Tunisia is also counting on the Italian side to help it to receive a positive response to its request to increase its annual olive oil export quota to the EU market, he added at the closing of the Tunisian-Italian business forum held in Tunis.

Addressing Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Chahed expressed the wish to see the EU implement effectively the principles governing the negotiations in the framework of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).

He also urged the Italian side to support his government in its efforts to increase the number of Italian tourists to Tunisia, which he said, falls short of expectations.

For his part, the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte expressed the desire to strengthen economic co-operation with Tunisia, particularly in terms of investment in order to establish social stability and promote growth that will stem the flow of irregular migration, according to him.

"Italy wants to put in place all conditions conducive to a win-win co-operation with Tunisia in many sectors, including mainly in infrastructure, energy, industry and technology," he said, recalling that 900 Italian companies are currently settled in Tunisia, generating around 68 thousand jobs.

"This number makes Italy the 2nd largest foreign investor in Tunisia," he pointed out.

During the day, Tunisia and Italy signed seven co-operation agreements in several fields including energy, education and decentralization, at the headquarters of the Government Palace in Kasbah