TUNIS, Nov 20 (NNN-XINHUA/AGENCIES) — Tunisia and France on Saturday signed a 200-million-euro deal to meet Tunisia’s financing needs on the sidelines of the 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie.
This was announced today by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, to the Tunisian counterpart, Kais Saied, on the occasion of the meeting during the Francophonie summit underway on the island of Djerba.
Macron reiterated “France’s support for Tunisia and the Tunisian people in the face of the challenges the country faces”, reads a statement from the Elysée Palace.
Furthermore, the French head of state welcomed the “open and constructive dialogue between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hoping that it will lead to a definitive agreement”.
During the meeting, Macron and Saied discussed the political situation in Tunisia, recalling that fundamental freedoms were intrinsic to the democratic path. In July 2021 Saied has launched a real coup d’état, centralizing powers.
Finally, the two heads of state also discussed the regional situation, particularly in Libya, and ways to strengthen cooperation in the Maghreb and the Mediterranean.
The deal was inked between Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Saied and French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna, according to a statement released by the Tunisian Ministry of Economy and Planning.
The financing agreement aims to support the implementation of the government’s reform programs.
“The agreement shows France’s readiness to continue its support for Tunisia in the concretization and implementation of its reform programs,” Saied assured during the signing ceremony.
“This initiative will help the country regain its financial balance, boost growth and energize a sustainable economy,” he continued.
For her part, the French foreign minister stressed the importance of the reform program put in place by the Tunisian government, which “will help Tunisia to recover gradually and go beyond socio-economic difficulties.”
The 18th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, commonly known as La Francophonie, started on Saturday in Djerba Island in southern Tunisia.
A total of 89 delegations from across the Francophone world, including those from France, Canada, Senegal and the European Council, as well as 31 heads of state and government, attended the two-day event. — NNN-XINHUA/AGENCIES
