MARSEILLE, France (AP) — The World Bank and several other international lenders are promising $38 billion to four Arab countries over the next two years to encourage democratic reforms.
The promise came Saturday in a meeting organized by the world’s most developed economies aimed at supporting Tunisia and Egypt’s nascent democracies as well as encouraging Morocco and Jordan to open up.
Representatives from Libya’s transitional government also attended the discussions in Marseille, France, but are not yet eligible to receive funds.
In May, international lenders and the Group of Eight made a similar promise to Arab countries to encourage reforms. The total pledged now stands at around at least $58 billion.
But there has been criticism that the funds have been slow in coming.
