The United States and Italy agreed on Monday to boost efforts to bring stability in the Mediterranean, including Tunisia, which is facing some difficulties and economic challenges.
The remarks were made in a joint press conference between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Blinken said, “in Tunisia, Italy has played an invaluable role in urging the Tunisian government to implement durable solutions to the country’s political and economic challenges.” “We very much would welcome the Tunisian government presenting a revised reform plan to the IMF and for the IMF to be able to act on the plan presented, but these are sovereign decisions,” Blinken said.
“This is a sovereign decision for Tunisia. It’s not a decision for us or anyone else to make, but it’s clear that Tunisia needs additional assistance if it is going to avoid falling off the proverbial economic cliff,” Blinken added.
“And what the EU and Italy have done, I think is an important step, but something more comprehensive that in our judgment the IMF can best provide, would be important to actually helping Tunisia get on a sustainable and positive path.
But the decisions that are involved, really are decisions for Tunisia to make, but we would very much support finding some way forward because it’s important for Tunisia, but it’s also I think important for the region,” Blinken said.
Meanwhile, Minister Antonio Tajani said, “we agreed on the action to be implemented to support peace and stability in the area of the Mediterranean, including Tunisia, which for us in Italy is a priority.” On Tunisia Tajani said, “we want to achieve good solutions. We want to pave the way for an agreement.
Of course, for us, we need to be pragmatic to talk with the Tunisians for achieving an agreement between Tunisia, the European Union, Italy, also Monetary Fund for this.
Also the position of the United States is very, very important that we need to work step by step,” Tajani added.
“The idea of the Italian is to put money, the first step of the money then reforms without reforms.
I Know the second step is that we need to talk, we need to achieve good solution for the stability because the stability of Tunisia as the stability of Libya is crucial for the stability of the Mediterranean region,” Tajani said.
Source: Kuwait News Agency