Washington yesterday urged the Tunisian government to quickly implement an economic reform plan that has received support from the International Monetary Fund.
This happened during a meeting in the Tunisian capital that brought together the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Ammar.
The US embassy in Tunisia said in a statement that Liv “came to Tunisia as part of a regional tour,” without specifying the date she arrived in Tunisia or the length of her visit.
She said that during her meeting with Ammar, she “highlighted the long-term partnership between the United States and Tunisia and emphasized the importance of facilitating the work of diplomats in Tunisia and Washington.”
“Liv insisted that the economic reform plan drawn up by the Tunisian government of President Qais Said, which has received support from the IMF and the donor countries, be quickly implemented,” she said.
This came as United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned yesterday during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “the economy in Tunisia is heading towards the unknown”, saying that “the most important thing is they can do in Tunisia from an economic point of view. The view is to reach an agreement with the IMF.”
Tunisia asked to join the International Monetary Fund in an economic reform program along with a financial loan that was originally approved in October 2022, but it did not materialize, as the country continues to face a serious economic crisis that has been worsened by the consequences of the European Union. the coronavirus and the rise in energy and raw material prices following the crisis in Russia and Ukraine.
According to the embassy’s statement, Liv conveyed to the Tunisian authorities “the views of the United States regarding the importance of securing a system of checks and balances which is essential for all democratic regimes”.
READ: Family of jailed Tunisian MP files complaint with UK against President
