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Washington urges Tunisia to speed up economic reforms

March 24, 2023 at 8:41 am

International Monetary Fund (IMF) building in Washington DC [DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images]

Washington yesterday urged the Tunisian government  to quickly implement an economic reform plan that has received support from the International Monetary Fund.

This came during a meeting in the capital Tunis that brought together US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf with Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar.

The US embassy in Tunis said in a statement that Liv “came to Tunisia as part of a regional tour,” without specifying the date of her arrival in Tunisia or the duration of her visit.

She said that during her meeting with Ammar, she “highlighted the long-term partnership between the United States and Tunisia and stressed the importance of facilitating the work of diplomats in Tunisia and Washington.”

“Liv urged the rapid implementation of the economic reform plan drawn up by the government of (Tunisian) President Qais Said, which has received support from the IMF and donor countries, “she added.

This came as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken yesterday warned 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 they can do in Tunisia from an economic point of view is to reach an agreement with the IMF.”

Tunisia requested to enter with the International Monetary Fund in an economic reform program accompanied by a financial loan that was initially approved in October 2022, but it did not enter into force, as a severe economic crisis continues in the country exacerbated by the repercussions of the coronavirus and the rise in energy prices and basic materials following the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

According to the embassy statement, Liv conveyed to the Tunisian authorities “the views of the United States on the importance of securing a system of checks and balances that are indispensable for all democratic regimes”.

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