US will grant Tunisia $ 500 million in aid- Tunisian minister

Tunis: The United States will grant Tunisia $ 500 million in aid to finance infrastructure and other projects and talks are also advanced on a loan guarantee, Tunisian finance minister Ali Kooli told Reuters on Monday. 

"Our visit to Washington was important and fruitful with International Monetary Fund, World Bank and American officials," said Kooli, who was in Washington to start discussions about a new loan program with the IMF. Tunisia, which has seen its debt burden rise and economy shrink by 8.8% last year in real terms, has started talks with the IMF to seek a financial assistance package.