Tunis — The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Southwest and the Tunisian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized on Thursday in the governorate Gafsa an inter-regional Information Day. The event focused on a 40 million Euro French credit line for 2010 which is destined to support Tunisian small and medium enterprises and boost their competitiveness as well as their exporting capacity.

Businessmen, companies' directors manager as well as junior promoters from the regions of Tozeur, Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid and Gafsa took part in the event.

Mr. Bertrand Furno, Head of the Regional Economic Department at the French Embassy in Tunis said that: "Tunisia is among the 25 major economic partners of France in the world", he added that that 30% of Tunisian exports land on the French market and that 1200 French companies are settled in Tunisia.

The role of the French Agency for International Development of Enterprises (UBIFRANCE) in strengthening both countries cooperation, Tunisian and French investors as well as ways to help Tunisian companies to identify service-providers in France under focus during the event which also looked at ways to boost the contribution of the Competitiveness Centre in Gafsa to attract local and foreign investors.