Castex said Paris was ready to help Tunisia, a former French colony he described as a "friend", carry out economic and social reform that could improve conditions, with unemployment rates standing at 18 percent. "These reforms are important for Tunisia, for the Tunisian people and for the Franco-Tunisian partnership," Castex said after talks with his Tunisian counterpart Hichem Mechichi. A decade since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia country faces political and economic crises. France last year pledged to lend Tunis 350 million euros, with 100 million euros handed over so far. Tunisia, a country of almost 12 million, has officially recorded more than 348,000 coronavirus cases and 12,793 deaths.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 03, 2021 17:48 UTC