The EU pledged Monday to intensify efforts to aid Tunisia in its efforts to tackle economic troubles and a jihadist threat as it transitions to democracy five years after a revolution.

"The EU sees it is necessary and obvious to mobilize all our efforts to support the Tunisian government and people in order for the democratic transition and country to succeed," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said after a meeting with Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui in Luxembourg.

In a joint statement, the EU pledged to "intensify efforts to identify all the opportunities for extra assistance."

However, Tunisia must itself take steps to better absorb international aid and reinforce coordination with international sponsors, it said.

The EU, a major partner with Tunisia since its 2011 revolution launched the "Arab Spring," has doubled its financial aid to the country to about 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) in the last five years, Mogherini told reporters. Loans of 500 million euros were released in February.

The bloc is also currently negotiating a free-trade deal with the North African country and is offering to help young Tunisians travel to Europe to study and conduct research. It has also increased the quantity of Tunisian olive oil exempted from import duties.

While Tunisia is hailed as a political success story of the Arab Spring uprisings, authorities have failed to redress the economy, with tourism hit hard by a wave of jihadist attacks.

The Islamic State group claimed attacks last year on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis and a resort hotel that killed 59 tourists in total, as well as a suicide bombing on a bus that killed 12 presidential guards.

Dozens of security forces members have died fighting extremists since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.