Mon. Jul 8th, 2024

NNA -nbsp;USnbsp;Secretary of Statenbsp;Antony Blinkencalled on Monday onnbsp;Tunisianbsp;to agree to International Monetary Fund (IMF) reforms and avoid falling off an quot;economic cliffquot; after the European Union dangled a major aid package.

Tunisian President Kais Saied has repeatedly refused quot;diktatsquot; from the IMF and the United States has led accusations that the birthplace of the Arab Spring is falling to authoritarianism after the dissolution of parliament and arrest of opposition leaders.

But led by Italy, which fears a rise in migration if Tunisia#39;s economy further falters, the European Union on Sunday offered a euro;900-billion ($968-billion) aid package ndash; contingent on Tunisia reaching an IMF deal.

Blinken, meeting his Italian counterpart, voiced support for the quot;important stepquot; by the European Union.–agenciesnbsp;

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