馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
EBRD appoints George Akhalkatsi as new head of Tunisia office
via Business News1 min read
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD announced on June 8, 2026, the appointment of George Akhalkatsi as the new head of its Tunisia office. He will succeed Nodira Mansurova and officially assume his duties on September 1, 2026. In this role, George Akhalkatsi will be responsible for overseeing all EBRD investments and operations in Tunisia, working under the supervision of Mark Davis, the Bank's Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region. A Georgian national, George Akhalkatsi joined the EBRD in 2009. He currently leads the institution's office in Armenia, where he has contributed to the development of the Bank's activities. With his extensive experience within the organization, he aims to continue and strengthen the long-standing partnership between the EBRD and Tunisia. Prior to his appointment in Armenia, he held several positions within the Bank, including at the EBRD resident office in Tbilisi, Georgia, and at the institution's headquarters in London, where he worked with teams responsible for production, services, and credit risk management sectors. This appointment comes as the EBRD continues its commitments in Tunisia, where the institution has supported development projects in both public and private sectors for several years.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
Tunisian journalist Mohamed El Meherzi passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the age of 92. He was a prominent figure in national broadcasting, known for his role in establishing televised news in Tunisia and training early generations of public service journalists. Born on September 3, 1934, Meherzi began his media career in 1956 at Tunisian Radio, where he contributed to the "Tunisification" process of the institution. During his time at the radio, he covered significant events in Tunisia's post-independence state-building, including political, economic, and social developments, as well as issues related to national sovereignty. After seven years, he joined the United Nations, leading the UN Information Office in Tunisia and overseeing programs across various sectors. He also managed communication for international conferences held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. In 1966, at the request of Mohamed Mzali, then director general of Tunisian Radio-Television, and under instructions from President Habib Bourguiba, Meherzi returned to establish the information department for the newly launched Tunisian television. He became the first editor-in-chief of televised news and the first presenter of the national television news. He structured the news service and supervised various information and analysis programs. Following his departure from television, Mohamed Meherzi pursued a diplomatic career, serving as an advisor at the Tunisian Embassy
A recent heatwave in Tunisia, with temperatures exceeding 45掳C, has led to the deaths of thousands of animals in farms, pet shops, and small family operations. Widespread electricity and water supply interruptions exacerbated the situation, depriving animals of ventilation, cooling, and sufficient water. Social media has been flooded with distressing images from farmers showing dead fish, birds, and poultry, highlighting the catastrophic losses. In fish farms, power outages halted aeration systems crucial for maintaining oxygen levels, causing fish to die from asphyxiation as water temperatures rose and oxygen capacity decreased. Poultry farms faced similar devastation; chickens and other birds, unable to sweat, rely on respiration to regulate body temperature. Prolonged power cuts disabled vital ventilation systems, leading to heat accumulation and mass mortality from thermal stress. This tragedy represents not only significant economic losses for farmers, often losing their sole source of income, but also a profound emotional toll. Pet shops also reported animal deaths. Climate specialists have warned about intensifying heatwaves in the Mediterranean, and this event underscores the critical need for resilient infrastructure to withstand extreme weather conditions. The combination of high temperatures and infrastructure failures created hostile environments where animals could not survive, leaving a lasting trauma for affected breeders.
Fathi Ben Khalifa, economic advisor to the president of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fishing UTAP, has highlighted the severe economic consequences of electricity and water supply interruptions on Tunisia's agricultural and fishing industries. In an interview on July 24, 2026, Ben Khalifa stated that these disruptions jeopardize food security and the livelihoods of thousands of professionals, attributing the vulnerability to a lack of adequate backup systems. The fishing sector is particularly affected. Ben Khalifa observed that despite abundant sardine catches, many boats remained docked because power cuts halted ice production and water supply to port factories. Without ice, fish cannot be preserved in temperatures sometimes exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, leading canneries to reject catches. He urged the Agency of Ports and Fishing Equipment to equip all ports with permanent generators and water tanks to ensure continuous ice production. Aquaculture projects are also at risk, requiring continuous power for oxygenation, pumping, filtration, and cooling systems. Ben Khalifa noted that a new aquaculture project suffered significant damage due to simultaneous water and electricity cuts, with substantial investments potentially lost in hours. He added that extreme temperatures, combined with power outages, make fish losses almost inevitable. The poultry sector faces similar challenges, as industrial farms rely on electricity for ventilation, cooling, feeding, and lightin