Tunis — "Tunisia is keen on establishing a solid and coherent co-operation with the European Union (EU), while also granting a place of choice to Arab and Islamic investments," said Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali.

Presiding, on Wednesday, over the opening of the business and technologies crossroads, CAT 2012, Mr. Jebali asserted that the "European direct investments made the largest contribution to the creation of enterprises during the last 10 months of the current year."

He explained that "foreign investments, in general, participated by 35% of all industrial firms created in Tunisia up to the end of last October, and they helped generate 266,000 jobs."

The Prime Minister underlined that "signing, in November 2012, of the agreement of Tunisia's access to the EU Privileged Partner status is a further confirmation of the two sides' joint will to hoist their business and partnership relations to higher levels."

He expressed satisfaction at the efforts exerted by the regional and international communities in supporting Tunisia's funding development, citing notably some countries of the Middle East and Arab Maghreb regions and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

Mr. Jebali pointed out that the 2013 draft State budget is betting on the Tunisian industry's capacities to take up the challenges, in spite of some endogenous insufficiencies and the slow growth rate of Tunisia's traditional markets.

He added that Tunisia had already introduced several needed reforms, including the revision of the Investment Incentives Code, with a view to easing procedures for the investors.

Tunisia is also striving to direct public investments towards the development of the necessary basic infrastructure (industrial zones, technological centres and roads) across all regions of the country to attract more investors.