| 02 April 2012 | 6 Comments
 
 

Following a six-day visit to the United States, Hedi Ben Abbes, Tunisia’s Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of the Americas and Asia, sat down for an exclusive interview with Tunisia Live in which he spoke about forthcoming programs in partnership with the US.

Ben Abbes announced the creation of a US-Tunisian investment fund of $20 million aimed at supporting small-and medium-sized enterprises.  Several additional development programs, sponsored by the US, will be implemented in Tunisia for the current year and two others have already been established in anticipation of the upcoming G8 summit in Amman.

The US has historically given Tunisia aid to bolster the latter’s military and counter-terrorism capabilities. Ben Abbes pointed out that the US will provide funding, technical assistance and support for security issues and equip the Tunisian National Army with modern gear in order to safeguard its borders effectively.

“The Unites States is really supporting Tunisia. We are entering another phase in our relationship that is based on mutual respect, given the fact that Tunisia has gained an international respectability,” he declared.

Ben Abbes considered the announcement of a $100 million grant from the US as a direct measure to aid the Tunisian government in balancing its budget for 2012. He added that the $100 million aid would encourage other governments, especially in the Arab world, to take the same initiative and provide aid to Tunisia.

“We are now in a difficult situation so we need help – but we need to learn to rely on ourselves,” he noted.

Ben Abbes asserted that the support of the US to Tunisia is significant because of the faith that the US has in Tunisia’s project of democracy. “The United States gave money to Tunisia because they believe that it is a place where democracy can succeed. We have to show the way without having the pretention to consider ourselves an example to be followed by others. We are just going through our own revolution, but it happens that it is our revolution that is taken into consideration by other people and some of them may or may not be inspired by our experience,” he stated.

According to Ben Abbes, the American sovereign loan guarantee of $30 million will allow the Tunisian government to receive a $400 million loan from the World Bank. He explained further that the US is giving out the sovereign loan because it is the swiftest form of a cash transfer, which can enable Tunisia to put its financial house in order. “The United States helped a great deal in fixing the budget for us and incited other partners to do the same,” said Ben Abbes.

Ben Abbes also confirmed that long discussions had taken place with the American ambassador in Tunisia concerning the Peace Corps Program. He declared that Tunisia will host more than 300 Peace Corps volunteers, who will engage with young Tunisians in a number of endeavors but mostly in English-language education.

“The Peace Corps program is really important from a social and educational point of view. It is a sign that our country has no problem in welcoming people from all over the world… we have nothing more to hide. We are in an open process of governance,” he concluded.

 

Correction:

The number of Peace Corps volunteers in 2012 will be 10, with an additional 10 in 2013 and more in the following years, and not 300 as reported.


Comments (6)

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  1. Najwa Merchawi says:
    03 April 2012 at 19:03

    It is sad to see that so many Tunisians mistrust the US no matter what they do. I challenge them to take over the economy of the country and make it work without aid from anyone. It seems that they do not grasp the concept of the “win-win” principle. The concept that deals between different parties can be and must be such that both parties would win ( i.e. both parties would gain something ). Read the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Poeople” by Steven Covey. The being said, I do believe that the US should not give us a fish but teach us how to fish.

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  2. Adel says:
    03 April 2012 at 15:41

    Economic prosperity and not revolutions is the dream of every arab. Without it, Tunisia can say goodbye to its revolution.
    With these salafis making noise on a daily basis, with foreign companies fleeing the country on a straight line, and with work strikes everywhere, the help must come from within ourselves. Any help from US or europe with or without strings attached will not make any difference in the long run.

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  3. Adel Gharsallah says:
    03 April 2012 at 10:24

    One can’t speak of partnership between a giant economy in decline and a gnome economy in disarray, because the USA has never treated its friendly states as equals, but rather as operable instruments to attain its own strategic and economic goals. It is therefore naïf to think that a $100 million American grant to the Tunisian State can be considered a friendly gesture for which one expects nothing in return. On the contrary there are plenty of strings attached to such a financial aid: to begin with the use of the so called “300 Peace Corps volunteers” to be planted in different layers of Tunisian society as watch-dogs to monitor the socio-political strata at grass root levels. Furthermore, as Terry has pointed out, men will tend to infest the healthy fresh food eating habits of Tunisians with unnatural ways of consuming fat fast foods like McDonald’s burgers and the like. Beware of the werewolves, Mr Ben Abbes; nobody does anything for nothing, especially the great hawks of the US of A!

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  4. Nasri says:
    03 April 2012 at 08:51

    “The United States gave money to Tunisia because they believe that it is a place where democracy can succeed…” I can understand this statement from a diplomatic point of view, but since I’m not a diplomat, I would respond differently.

    The US policies have never been decided on democratic or any other moral backgrounds; the only god worshipped by the US policy makers is called INTEREST. I think we do not have to go far in search of an evidence simply because this evidence is us: a quik look into the records of the US aid to Tunisia would reflect that they were more concerned with the support of the despotic regimes that shattered our country than they are with our fledgling democracy.

    It’s not a sin that people honor their interests, however, it’s a sin to cover their quest for interest with a misleading shameless messianic mission; I would say: hope that their interests would not ravage ours, no need to say that this outcome is a “permissable sin” in “messianic politics”.

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  5. Terry says:
    03 April 2012 at 08:35

    Tunisia is quite vulnerable now, and I sincerely hope that the ‘loan’ will help the country and its people and not just ‘grease some palms.’ in government.
    If the Tunisian government can clean up the environment, implement technology, promote tourism and create jobs that will help all the people live a good life, than the money will be well spent, however, if BIG BUSINESS, like McDonald’s comes here, with it’s CHEMICAL food, promising jobs, it will destroy the health and well-being of the population. Food is abundant here, and it comes from NATURE not a laboratory. FAST FOOD chains are NOT what is needed here.
    Genetic engineered food should not be accepted either. Corn/soy being fed to animals is causing serious health concerns. The USA is a population of OBESE and unhealthy children and adults. It has a disease care system that requires people to be SICK so profits can be made from medicines. Americans take medications for diseases than can be controlled or cured by eating the right food and exercising.
    Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” He did not mean food with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Food from NATURE.
    Don’t let BIG BUSINESS run the government. THE PEOPLE are the government and they deserve to be free, healthy and happy.

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  6. EVG says:
    03 April 2012 at 05:44

    This is heartening news !

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