Tunisia, EU to sign privileged partnership agreement soon

Tunisia and the European Union (EU) will soon sign a privileged partnership agreement, Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali was quoted Thursday by Shems FM radio as saying. The signing will be "perhaps in November," said Jebali, who was on a two day visit to Brussels and met with President of European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and a number of European leaders. Europe showed a great understanding towards Tunisia by providing the country with "enormous encouragement despite of its image as a shattered country," the prime minister said at the opening of a Euro-Mediterranean salon. The EU has pledged further economic support to Tunisia, Jebali said, highlighting the signing of a financing agreement on Tuesday to support the judiciary and healthcare reforms in disadvantaged regions in the North African country.