SECRETARY CLINTON: It’s wonderful to welcome Ambassador Tekaya
here, along with members of the Embassy of Tunisia to celebrate this
important step in our partnership. In the United States, we have an old
saying: You’ve got to put your money where your mouth is. You can’t just
say you support something; you have to back it up with value. And we
have been very supportive of Tunisia’s democratic future, and we want to
back up those words, Ambassador, with actions.
It was less than two months ago that I announced this cash transfer,
and I’d like to thank all of my colleagues at the State Department and
USAID for their work to make this happen so quickly. But this transfer
is only one of many valuable commitments we are making to the people and
the new government of Tunisia. We will soon be finalizing a sovereign
loan guarantee agreement, fully backed by the United States, which will
provide several hundreds of millions of dollars more in financing for
the Tunisian Government. We are working through USAID to help Tunisia
develop its information communications technology sector. And last fall,
Tunisia became eligible for the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s
Threshold Program, which will support sustained, broad-based economic
growth throughout the country.
We are also deepening our ties with the Tunisian people, helping to
build Tunisia’s institutions of democracy and governance, fostering the
growth of civil society and the private sector, and expanding
educational and cultural exchanges. And as Tunisia’s leaders shape the
country’s new institutions, we are encouraging them and working with
them to ensure that core principles of human rights, transparency, and
accountability are part of Tunisia’s democratic transformation. After
years of totalitarian rule, the Tunisian people deserve a government
that is responsible to their needs and usefully using their resources.
So the United States stands firmly with Tunisia, as do many others.
Tunisia’s neighbors are increasing their investment and budget support,
and we are delighted to see other nations joining in this important
effort. The Tunisian people have friends all over the world, and each
investment is a tangible demonstration of commitment to the Tunisian
peoples’ goals of realizing a Tunisia founded on democratic principles,
built on inclusive economic growth, where every man, woman, and child
has the opportunity for a better future.
So, Ambassador, we are proud to be your partner in helping to shape that future.
AMBASSADOR TEKAYA: Thank you very much. Thank you
very much, Honorable Secretary, for your warm welcome and your kind
words about Tunisia and the trust that you have in the ability of
Tunisia to succeed in this transition.
It is, for me, a distinct honor to be here today, and to sign with
Your Excellency, the Memorandum of Acknowledgment of the Cash Transfer
that you have just mentioned, which is really to support the
stabilization of the Tunisian economy through provision of budgetary
support. Indeed, this is a significant measure of support for Tunisia at
a critical stage in its transition to democracy, and it’s also a
critical stage in its history. And on behalf of the Tunisian Government,
I would like to extend to you – and through you to the Government of
the United States – our deepest gratitude for that support.
Indeed, the cash transfer is one of the various measures that the
U.S. administration has granted Tunisia. You have mentioned the loan
guarantees, also the Tunisia Enterprise Fund, and the Threshold Program
with MCC. So we are really grateful, and we also – I also want to extend
a special thanks to the members of Congress for their support for these
measures, as well as the various departments and agencies for the work
that they have done to materialize these measures.
Tunisia today has made significant progress in this transition to
democracy with the organization of free, fair elections and also the
election of a president, a speaker of the constituent assembly, and also
a head of government. And the constituent assembly is currently engaged
in elaborating a new constitution for Tunisia – for a modern Tunisia,
for a new Tunisia, which would be respectful of human rights, respectful
of the values of the democracy, and which would respond to the
aspirations of the Tunisian people for freedom and for dignity. And we
count on the support of our friends in the first place, the friends who
share these values, the values of democracy, liberty, and dignity, and
the United States is certainly in the forefront of those countries with
whom – for whom we seek the support.
Tunisia is facing enormous challenges, economic, social, and also
financial challenges. It counts, in the first place, on its own
resources and its own means, implementing meaningful reforms and also
mobilizing national resources to face these challenges. But Tunisia
counts also on the valuable support of its friends. And the United
States has been steadfast in that regard. In his – we always want to
recall that in his State of the Union Address in January last year,
President Obama said that the United States will stand with the people
of Tunisia. And I think that his support is really highly appreciated by
the people of Tunisia. And since then, United States has been
delivering on that support, so we are thankful.
We are also thankful for the role that United States – and the active
role that United States has been playing, galvanizing international
support for Tunisia. And I would like to pay a special tribute to you,
Madam Secretary of State. You have been a special supporter of Tunisia, a
strong advocate of support for Tunisia, so we owe you a lot of credit
for that.
And as the revolution in Tunisia has opened new opportunities for the
people of Tunisia, it has also opened – created new opportunities for
the relations between our two countries. And these opportunities are
really for us to explore, and we invite our friends from the United
States to share with us these opportunities in many sectors. Last
September, our two countries launched a political and economic
partnership, which is setting up a rich, comprehensive agenda of
cooperation on many areas of mutual interest. And that partnership is
moving forward, and we’re happy to continue to work together to further
advance it.
Tunisia looks forward to attracting American investment. We invite
American companies to come to Tunisia to explore the opportunities that
Tunisia offers, a Tunisia that is implementing far-reaching reforms –
economic reforms, financial reforms, also strengthening good governance,
strengthening transparency and the rule of law. Tunisia will be a very
good place for American investors and for American companies.
So with this, also I would like to stress how important our
friendship is, and we would like to further promote understanding
between our two peoples through student exchanges, through additional
exchanges, and through partnership between the private sector in Tunisia
and the private sector in the United States of America.
And I thank you, Honorable Secretary, for providing us with this
opportunity to celebrate a friendship and a partnership between our two
countries.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Ambassador. (Applause.)
(The Memorandum of Acknowledgement of the Cash Transfer Agreement
between the United States and the Tunisian Republic was signed.)
(Applause.)
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much. Thank you.
