The Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, held several bilateral meetings as part of his participation in the World Bank Group and IMF Annual Spring Meetings, held in Washington from April 13 to 17, 2026.
One of the notable meetings took place with Ousmane Dione, Vice President of the World Bank for the Middle East and North Africa, during which the two parties expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation currently in place and their commitment to further strengthen this collaboration, in line with Tunisia’s priorities and its development objectives.
The minister highlighted the need for this cooperation to remain aligned with the directions of the development plan for the 2026-2030 period.
Samir Abdelhafidh also addressed the progress made by the national economy, which has shown resilience and improvement, as evidenced by several indicators, while highlighting the current challenges in the context of recent geopolitical developments and upheavals.
In this regard, the minister expressed hope that all efforts would come together to further strengthen cooperation in the months ahead, to overcome these challenges.
The minister also met in the following days with Álvaro Lario, President of the Global Fund for Agricultural Development, Matteo Patrone, Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Kotano Tanaka, Director-General for the Middle East and Europe region of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Alexandre De Croo, Director of the United Nations Development Programme.
These meetings provided the minister with an opportunity to discuss with the leaders of these institutions the ongoing cooperation and the available prospects to strengthen its foundations.
Samir Abdelhafidh emphasized the importance of redoubling efforts to increase the intensity of cooperation and improve its effectiveness, in order to achieve the economic and social objectives set.
For their part, the leaders of the institutions expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation with Tunisia and their willingness to continue supporting efforts aimed at achieving the desired objectives.
Finally, during a seminar on “Global Partnerships for Skills Development and Labor Mobility,” the minister presented Tunisia’s experience in this area.
He also addressed, during his participation in a seminar dedicated to food security and job creation in the food industries sector in the Middle East and North Africa, Tunisia’s policies and its commitment to developing them, particularly through the promotion of agricultural systems, value chains, and support for water resources.
