Maghreb News / Lamine gh –Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday voiced emphatically the United States’s backing for Tunisia to strengthen its economy, upgrade security and military capabilities to fight radical Islamists like Islamic State at home and its threats on its border with Libya where extremist Islamits train Tunisian recruits to swell their ranks.
But obliquely proded the leaders of the North African small country to get their act together to advance reforms by telling them : »My message :World’s eyes are on Tunisia. It wants Tunisia to succeed. »
« Tunisia is where the Arab Spring is born and it is where it continues distinctly to bloom, » added Kerry, who repeated at least three times in a less-than-nine minute address to reporters alongside his Tunisian counterpart Tayeb Baccouche that Washington backs Tunisia on various forms of cooperation to shield and deepen its democratic transition.
« Tunisia’s democracy remains a work in progress, » he said, making it clear that the U.S, struggling to untangle bloody conflicts fueled by the eruption of long-dormant sectarian divides in the Middle East, needs success of the Tunisian experiment to display it as « a counterpoint to those who assert that Islam is somehow incompatible with democracy. »
After meeting President Beji Caid Essebsi in Washington in May this year, U.S. President Barack Obama granted Tunisia the status of a major non-NATO ally of the United States in recognition of the country’s democratic progress since 2011.
Washington had provided Tunisia with more than $700 million of economic, development and security assistance over five years.
« We are prepared to do more to help Tunisia achieve is goals (. ..) We will stand with Tunisia in addressing the challenges facing it in Libya, » Kerry said after Baccouche repeated Tunisia’s concerns about Libya.
« Libya is a big cause for worries as terrorism spreads there and where terrorists are arming Tunisian youth to send them fighting in zones of conflicts and whose return threaten sometimes Tunisia’s security, » said Baccouche.
He added that Tunisia is seeking U.S. support to reinforce its ability to control its borders especially with Libya.
Kerry said the two countries agreed on a declaration of intent over a $500 million guarantee that when finalised will allow Tunisia to tap capital markets on loans with lower interest rate.
He said security and military experts were to continue working together on specific needs of Tunisia to provide it withe more support.
Kerry, who chaired with Baccouche a bilateral conference on strategic cooperation during his stop in Tunisia on his way to Vienna where he will attend an international conference on Syria war.
He said the two governments have set a joint committee on economic cooperation to help Tunisia boost economic development and ulimately « uproot radicalism » by offering job opportunities and expanded prosperity to the population, namely its frustrated and impatient youth .
But Tunisia had to go a long way to win sustainable trust of the world community in its economic shape with transparent business climate free of red tape and corruption.
« Investment to flow in Tunisia needs investors having confidence in democracy, confidence in the laws, confidence in banckruptcy laws, » said Kerry, adding that Tunisia is moving on specific economic reforms.