Carthage — Caretaker President Moncef Marzouki announced on Thursday that Tunisia will be granted shortly a financial aid from Libya worth 200 million Tunisian dinars, 100 MTD in donation and 100 MTD in low-interest loan.

Addressing a joint news conference with Libya's General National Congress President Mohamed Youssef El-Megaryef, he also declared: "This first official visit of the Libyan leader testifies to the good economic relations between our two countries, notably at the level of border areas."

Answering journalists' questions, Mr. Marzouki spoke of a political consensus about increasing the security of common borders and carrying on co-ordination between the two countries' security systems.

As regards the Maghreb Union, he said that Tunisia and Libya agree to revive it, affirming that "talks have been late because of Mauritanian President's accident."

As to recognising the Syrian Transition Council, Mr. Marzouki declared that "negotiations are going on and it will be recognised when we know more about its make-up." He reminded in this regard of Tunisia's stand rejecting the armament of the opposition and any foreign intervention in Syria.

The Libyan leader gave in turn an idea about the great projects planned in his country, urging Arab experts and Tunisians in the first place to go and work in Libya. He also said that the issue of transitional justice is of major importance for Libya's people "who want to know the truth about crimes committed since 1969."

President Marzouki had had a meeting on Thursday afternoon with the Libyan leader who is on a fraternal and working visit in Tunisia. The meeting allowed to discuss the development of bilateral relations and means to raise them to the level of strategic partnership, says a presidency communiqué.