Tunisia's Essebsi on debut visit to U.S. to boost aid

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi will start on Wednesday a two-day visit to the United States, seeking more U.S. security and military aid, a presidential spokesman said.

Essebsi is Tunisia's first democratically elected president to visit the U.S., Spokesman Moez Sinaoui said.

During the visit, Essebsi will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials.

He paid visits to Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France and the African Union since he took office.

Essebsi and Obama are scheduled to publish an article in The Washington Post, the first with an Arab leader, according to Sinaoui.

Obama only had co-written articles with leaders of Britain, France, and India, he said. Endit