Tunisia’s Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa has called for more foreign direct investment (FDI) to revive his country’s ailing economy and strengthen the transition to democracy. Mr Jomaa says that a successful transition to democracy depends on stability and economic regeneration.

Mr Jomaa told this week’s “Invest in Tunisia: Start Up Democracy” conference in Tunis “we forgot about the economy over the past three years but the economy did not forget us,” referring to the political and social crisis that has engulfed Tunisia since 2011. The growth rate in the first half of 2014 fell to 2.1%, down on the same period last year, and is insufficient to absorb growing unemployment estimated at 15.7% in 2014. (CONTINUED - 756 WORDS)