Visit of State Secretary Burgbacher to Tunisia: Germany wants to support the political and economic reform process
One year after his last visit to Tunisia Ernst Burgbacher, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, headed a delegation of government and business representatives to Tunis/Tunisia. His talks from 1-3 May 2012 focused on the political and economic dimension of the country's ongoing democratisation process.
State Secretary Burgbacher said: "The successful transformation to democratic systems in Egypt and in Tunisia will also largely depend on the economic developments in these countries. Economic reforms, creating and securing jobs and establishing competitive structures are essential components of the development towards democracy. The German federal government will do all it can to strengthen this reform process and supports the transformation towards democracy in these countries also by means of 'transformation partnerships'."
State Secretary Burgbacher and his delegation drew some conclusions after the country's one-year transition period and discussed possibilities of intensified bilateral cooperation. They saw at first hand the success that has so far been achieved in the field of bilateral business promotion. Jobless university graduates, for instance, were given German lessons within the framework of a project of the Goethe-Institut and were subsequently successfully placed in jobs offered by German companies based in Tunisia with the support of the bilateral chamber of commerce.
As Federal Government Commissioner for SMEs and Tourism, State Secretary Burgbacher discussed topical tourism-policy issues with the Tunisian Minister of Tourism during their meeting. He reported on the growing number of German visitors to Tunisia and suggested to strengthen the image of Tunisia as a cultural travel destination that promotes sustainable tourism. State Secretary Burgbacher offered Germany's support for this purpose.
