Press Release

  OFID and Tunisia pledge to strengthen cooperation

    Director-General Al-Herbish meets with Prime Minister Ghannouchi

02/2008 February 15, 2008 Vienna, Austria
Press inquiries:

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) has reiterated its commitment to supporting social and economic development in Tunisia. The pledge was made by OFID Director-General, Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, during a successful four-day mission to the North African country, which included talks with Tunisian Prime Minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi.

“We are ready to do everything within our means to help Tunisia achieve its development targets,” said Mr. Al-Herbish. Such assistance, he emphasized, would involve diversifying the nature of OFID’s operations in the country, “particularly in relation to the private sector.”

In their discussions, Prime Minister Ghannouchi and Mr. Al-Herbish reviewed cooperation to date and explored avenues for future collaboration; the latter within the context of Tunisia’s 11th National Development Plan (2007 – 2011). Mr. Ghannouchi expressed his satisfaction with the progress of ongoing collaborative projects and conveyed his thanks to OFID for its unwavering support over the years.

Together with his delegation, Mr. Al-Herbish held constructive talks with a number of other senior government officials, among them Mr. Afif Chelbi, Minister of Industry, Energy and Small and Medium-scale Enterprises; Mr. Lazhar Bououni, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology; Mr. Mohamed Nouri Jouini, Minister of Development and International Cooperation; and, Mr. Omar Ben Mahmoud, Secretary of State in charge of the National Solidarity Fund (the 26-26 Program).

Mr. Al-Herbish ended the mission with a visit to the Higher Institute of Technology in Siliana, some 150 km from the capital Tunis. The Institute, which is close to completion, was co-financed with a US$10 million OFID loan and has already enrolled 1,000 students.

OFID and Tunisia are long-standing partners with relations extending back over three decades. Cooperation includes funding for agriculture, water supply, education, vocational training, energy and transportation projects, as well as support to private enterprise.