EU agrees to help Tunisia fight terror, boost economy

Mr Hammond told MPs that he changed the Foreign Office travel advice to the North African country based on intelligence, which indicated a further attack was likely.

The attack on the resort of Sousse left 38 tourists dead, majority British, and came just months after the killing of 22 people at the Bardo Museum in the capital Tunis in March.

Family and friends of a husband and wife murdered in the Tunisian beach terror attack have gathered for their funeral this afternoon.

“It’s not clear from the detail of Philip’s statement, and it may not be possible that he can say more, but this may be an opportunity for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to ask him these questions”. “But there is no doubt that the terrorists are targeting our economy”, said Mr Ennaceur.

The minister said he was not disappointed by the failure to get the travel warning rescinded as the delegation had succeeded in achieving the other aim of their visit, paying condolence to bereaved families of some of the 30 British victims and “to the ordinary British people who have been so kind and supportive towards us”.

Play video “We Were Forced To Leave'”.

The European Union pledged Monday to step up its security and economic assistance for Tunisia, as the country continues to reel from a pair of deadly terrorist attack targetting tourists.

The Foreign Secretary said a judgement had to be made based on on the balance of threat and mitigation. What I have said to the Tunisian PM is we need to see some progress on the ground – I’m not suggesting in any way they are dragging their heels, they are doing a thorough investigation – but we need to see some progress in exposing the full extent of this network behind these attacks.

Play video “Britons Told To Avoid Tunisia”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond met Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid in Brussels, where European Union ministers promised to boost political and economist support for Tunisia. “It has done everything and takes all the different measures” necessary to ensure security, said Zohra Driss, the owner of the Imperial Marhaba hotel where the attack took place and also a member of parliament.

“Whether it is weeks or months, we are talking about Tunisia’s re-emergence into the market for probably the winter season, as there is an over-winter business in Tunisia”.