TUNIS (TAP) - Finance Minister Jalloul Ayed said, in an international forum, held on May 21 in Paris, on the "Middle East and North Africa (MEAN)" that Tunisia, always open onto the world economy, counts on the support of its friends for its successful transition to democracy.

He voiced the country's readiness to create a new partnership based on the achievement of joint projects and development of exchanges.

Besides, he spoke of the mechanisms to be set up as part the governmental programme to promote the economy, encourage investment and employment creation, which are notably the Investment Fund for Generations and the Funding Body for Public Works, as well as establishing a legal framework for the risk capital companies and micro-credits.

In a meeting with Mr. Augustin De Romanet, Director General of the French Funding Body, Mr. Ayed said that preparations are under way, at an accelerated pace, for the creation of a Funding Body for Public Works in Tunisia, stressing the important role of this fund in boosting national savings and development of funding mechanisms of large-scale projects and infrastructures.

In turn, Mr. De Romanet voiced the French Fund's readiness to back up efforts of the Finance Ministry for the creation of a Funding Body for Public Works in Tunisia, by means of presenting French expertise in this field.