Society 361 / 2012

tunesien
botschafter
Mohamed Samir Koubaa
curriculum
vitae
H
.E. Mohamed Samir
Koubaa was born
on December 4, 1955
in Sfax, Tunisia. He studied
at the Ecole Nationale
d’Administration and at the
Institut de Défense Nationale.
From 2000-2011, he was
representative at the United
Nations Organization in
Geneva. In 2011, he became
Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to the
Republic of Austria and
Permanent Representative
to the UNO in Vienna.
experience and expertise in
particular in the areas of water
sanitation and recycling,
infrastructure, renewable energy
and equitable regional
development and decentralization
structure. About twenty
Austrian enterprises are based
in Tunisia and I am convinced
that there are certainly more
opportunities for win-win partnerships
and joint public and/
or private ventures. In this regard,
we are looking forward to
the early establishment of the
bilateral Business Council and
the reopening of the based Austrian
Trade representative in
Tunis in order to boost bilateral
trade.
What are the challenges
Tunisia is facing?
Challenges that threaten
prosperity, stability, democracy
and the full enjoyment of human
rights and fundamental
freedom do not recognize borders,
nationalities or regions.
Tunisia now stands at the
crossroads with great assets
and large opportunities but
also facing numerous challenges.
The political challenge is
that the democratic transition
has to succeed. The economic
»The political challenge
is that the
democratic transition
has to succeed.
The economic challenge
is to avoid
the vicious circle of
poverty and rising
unemployment.
«
Mohamed
Samir
Koubaa
challenge is to avoid the vicious
circle of poverty and rising
unemployment which would
fuel discontent and disappointments.
Ultimately, the transition
will be successful only if
economic progress occurs.
Efforts are being deployed in
order to reassure our partners,
keep a balance between management
of social expectations
on the one hand, and the macro-economic
and budget stability
on the other, not to mention
the steps to solve unemployment,
re-energize the economy,
narrow regional disparities and
reduce poverty.
The aim of the Tunisian Government
is to cope with the
decline in key economic sectors
such as tourism, trade and
meet immediate challenges
in terms of budget assistance
and support to regions and
employment while keeping the
country‘s economic and social
balances, establish better governance,
speed up local infrastructure
development, develop
human resources, secure integration
into international markets
and reform the financial
sector, promote programmes of
exchange and access to knowledge
for youth and a mobility
partnership aimed notably at
students, teachers, researchers
and businessmen and businesswomen
as well as securing access
to markets through deeper
and global integration with the
European Union as part of advanced
status and partnership
and free trade agreements with
the other member state. •
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