VZCZCXYZ0012
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0833/01 3171705
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131705Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6977
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TUNIS 000833 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/P:GBEHRMAN,S/SRMC:KCHANDLER, R:SNOOR-ALI 
ALSO FOR NEA/RA AND NEA/MAG 
NSC STAFF FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR RAMAMURTHY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI TS
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S CAIRO AGENDA: EMBASSY TUNIS ACTIONS 
 
REF: A. STATE 112468 
     ¶B. 9/16 DESJARDINS-HAYES EMAIL 
     ¶C. TUNIS 507 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Embassy Tunis has established a steering group and 
begun extensive outreach in preparation for the Presidential 
Summit on Entrepreneurship.  With a strong private sector and 
a government focused on creating economic opportunity, 
Tunisia offers opportunities to implement the President's 
vision of comprehensive engagement through partnerships in 
areas of mutual interest.  End summary. 
 
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Efforts on Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Steering Group: The Embassy has established an 
Economic Opportunity Steering Group chaired by the Ambassador 
and includes the DCM, Pol/Econ Counselor, Public Affairs 
Officer, the Director of the MEPI Regional Office, and 
others.  The Steering Group is coordinating and overseeing 
mission efforts to support the Entrepreneurship Summit and 
other elements of the Cairo and Marrakech speeches. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Summit Participants: On September 16, Embassy 
submitted, via email to the desk, the names of three 
Tunisians as nominees for the Presidential Summit on 
Entrepreneurship (ref B).  We will submit additional names 
with supporting information by November 30.  Embassy will 
seek to engage Tunisia's strong private sector by putting 
forward a diverse list of business and social entrepreneurs 
from various sectors, regions, and social groups. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Roundtables: The Embassy's Steering Group has begun 
planning two roundtable discussions for the month of 
December, hosted by the Ambassador for dialogue with key 
Tunisian stakeholders on the goals of the Summit.  The first 
roundtable will bring together members of Tunisia's business 
establishment, while the second will target small-scale 
entrepreneurs, micro-credit lenders and borrowers, and other 
emerging leaders.  We will report on the outcomes of these 
roundtables in late December. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Stakeholder Outreach: The Ambassador and emboffs 
have been in consultation with government, private sector, 
and civil society actors on implementing the President's 
vision of comprehensive engagement defined by partnerships in 
areas of mutual interest.  We will continue to seek their 
views as we move toward the Summit and beyond.  The Embassy's 
Public Affairs Section will continue its active outreach to 
Tunisian media and civil society on the broad Cairo 
Initiative goals.  Members of the Economic Opportunity 
Steering Group will take advantage of USG-funded programs in 
Tunisia to advance local entrepreneurship and economic 
opportunity.  These include: 
 
- a $1.75 million, multi-year, multi-country program to 
promote small business and entrepreneurship opportunities for 
women; 
 
- a $200,000 program to support entrepreneurship and good 
governance through training, skills development, and 
mentoring; 
 
- a $150,000 program on technology-driven development with 
the Tunisian Agency for Research and Innovation; 
 
- a $150,000 program to link college graduates with the job 
market through internships and English language instruction; 
 
- a multi-year program providing English instruction to 
disadvantaged adolescents; 
 
- a $95,000 English-language youth immersion course with 
leadership and citizenship-building activities; 
 
- a $300,000 university partnership on biomass fuel 
processing engineering; 
 
- an $850,000 program for scientific partnership on tropical 
diseases; 
 
- a $500,000 community center for rural youth; and 
 
- a $500,000 rural women's vocational training center. 
 
GRAY