20110429
reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Bank President Robert Zoellick travels to Tunisia on Monday, his first visit to the country since a January revolution ousted its leader and sparked similar uprisings across the Middle East.

The World Bank said in a statement Zoellick will focus on how the poverty-fighting institution can help address high unemployment levels and ensure broad-based growth that benefits all its people and not just a few.

"We want to help Tunisians at this turning point in their history," Zoellick said in a statement in which he also announced he will attend an industry conference in Morocco afterwards.

The World Bank announced earlier this month it will lend Tunisia $500 million in budget support to increase transparency, improve basic services and create jobs.

There is growing concern that turmoil in neighboring Libya could affect the transition in Tunisia as refugees flee fighting between Muammar Gaddafi's forces and rebels trying to overthrow him.

Tunisia is likely to have little economic growth this year and revenues are sharply down from a drop in tourism and foreign direct investment. The North African country said it needs about $4 billion in foreign loans to help its transition after decades of authoritarian rule under ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Unlike its neighbors Algeria and Libya, Tunisia does not have vast oil and gas reserves and relies heavily on tourism.

During his four-day visit, Zoellick will meet with members of Tunisia's transitional government and local organizations, including farmers and women's groups.

In a speech on April 6 in Washington, Zoellick called for a new approach in the way the international community should respond to revolutionary changes across the Middle East and North Africa.

He said the bank would work more closely with civilian groups that have on-the-ground knowledge and experience of people's needs as opposed to only supporting the government. For more on the speech see .

His visit will be an opportunity to look at how this new approach can be put into practice.