TUNIS (TAP) - Finance Minister Jalloul Ayed is on a working visit in Washington, on May 16-18, ahead of Tunisia's participation in the G8 Summit due next May 26-27 in Deauville.

He is conducting bilateral consultations with senior officials of the US administration and Congress members and multilateral ones with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The Minister was received at the White House, by Mr. Michael Forman, Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama and Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs and Obama's personal representative to the G8 and G20 summits, with attendance of Special Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for International Economic Affairs David Lipton.

The progress of democratic transition should be accompanied by the establishment of an ambitious economic and social development programme, Mr. Ayed said during the meeting.

Priority in this programme is given to job creation and regional development, he emphasised.

The Finance Minister also said that achieving the objectives of the programme require appropriate and effective financial support from Tunisia's international partners including G8 members.

For their part, the American officials showed special interest in the development of economic situation in Post-Revolution Tunisia, stressing the importance of reviving the Tunisian economy to ensure success to democratic transition.

They expressed their support to the efforts exerted by Tunisia to meet the people's aspirations to prosperity and democracy.

Mr. Ayed had also talks with senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman; he briefed them on the development of the situation in Tunisia and Tunisia's preparation for participation in the G8 Summit.

The two senators reiterated their support to democratic transition in Tunisia and their readiness to further step up the U.S. Congress' support to Tunisia.