Tunisia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Tunisia

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi Parliament Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Councillors Political parties Elections Governorates Delegations Foreign relations

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President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has maintained Tunisia's long-time policy of seeking good relations with the West, while playing an active role in Arab and African regional bodies. President Habib Bourguiba took a nonaligned stance but emphasized close relations with Europe and the United States.

Contents 1 France 2 Middle East and Africa 2.1 Israel 2.2 Iran 2.3 Libya 2.4 Turkey 3 Europe 4 Rest of world 4.1 Canada 4.2 Pakistan 4.3 United States 5 Foreign Ambassadors 6 Footnotes 7 See also

[edit] France

Tunisia and France retain a special relationship due to their history, geographic location, and economic relationship. France have a sizeable Tunisian diaspora, and the french language is widely used in Tunisia. Both countries maintain a deeper economic relationship. France is Tunisias largest importer for instance. In recent years many french companies have re-localized production to Tunisia.

[edit] Middle East and Africa

Tunisia has long been a voice for moderation and realism in the Middle East. Tunisia served as the headquarters of the Arab League from 1979 to 1990 and hosted the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) headquarters from 1982 to 1993, when the PLO Executive Committee relocated to Jericho and the Palestinian Authority was established after the signing of the Oslo Accords. (The PLO Political Department remains in Tunis.) Tunisia consistently has played a moderating role in the negotiations for a comprehensive Middle East peace. In 1993, Tunisia was the first Arab country to host an official Israeli delegation as part of the Middle East peace process and maintained an Interests Section until the outbreak of the 2000 Intifada. Israeli citizens of Tunisian descent may travel to Tunisia on their Israeli passports.

Wedged between Algeria and Libya, Tunisia has sought to maintain good relations with its neighbors despite occasionally strained relations. Tunisia and Algeria resolved a longstanding border dispute in 1993 and have cooperated in the construction of the Trans-Mediterranean natural gas pipeline through Tunisia that connects Algeria to Italy. Tunisia recently signed an agreement with Algeria to demarcate the maritime frontier between the two countries.

Tunisia has supported the development of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), which includes Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Libya. Progress on Maghreb integration remains stymied, however, as a result of bilateral tensions between some member countries.

[edit] Israel

President Bourguiba was the first Arab leader to call for the recognition of Israel in a speech in Jericho in 1965.

[edit] Iran

In May, 2005, Tunisia signed with Iran an agreement for cooperation in air, sea, and road transportation. It was signed on the visit of Tunisian minister Abderrahim Zouari to Iran.^[1]

[edit] Libya

Tunisia's relations with Libya have been erratic since Tunisia annulled a brief agreement to form a union in 1974. Diplomatic relations were broken in 1976, restored in 1977, and deteriorated again in 1980, when Libyan-trained rebels attempted to seize the town of Gafsa. In 1982, the International Court of Justice ruled in Libya's favor in the partition of the oil-rich continental shelf it shares with Tunisia. Libya's 1985 expulsion of Tunisian workers and military threats led Tunisia to sever relations. Relations were normalized again in 1987. While supporting the UN sanctions imposed following airline bombings, Tunisia has been careful to maintain positive relations with its neighbor. Tunisia supported the lifting of UN sanctions against Libya in 2003, and Libya is again becoming a major trading partner. Currently, Tunisia has a maritime dispute with Libya.

[edit] Turkey

Tunisia has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate-general in Istanbul.^[2] Turkey has an embassy in Tunis.^[3] Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.

[edit] Europe

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Bulgaria	1956	Bulgaria has an embassy in Tunis.[4] Tunisia is represented in Bulgaria through its embassy in Belgrade (Serbia). Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Bulgaria (in French only)
Croatia	1993-01-30	Croatia is represented in Tunisia through its embassy in Rabat (Morocco) and an honorary consulate in Tunis. Tunisia is represented in Croatia through its embassy in Vienna (Austria) and an honorary consulate in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Cyprus	1999	Cyprus is represented in Tunisia through its embassy in Paris (France). Tunisia is represented in Cyprus through its embassy in Rome (Italy) and an honorary consulate in Larnaca. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tunisian Foreign Affairs Ministry about relations with Cyprus (in French only)
Denmark		See Foreign relations of Denmark
Finland	1956-06-08	Diplomatic relations between them were established on July 17, 1959. Since 1994 Finland has an embassy in Tunis. Previously Finland was represented in Tunisia through its embassies in Algiers, Algeria and Rome, Italy.[5] Tunisia has an embassy in Helsinki. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland about relations with Tunisia
Italy		See Foreign relations of Italy
Malta		See Malta–Tunisia relations Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.
Romania	1963	See Romania–Tunisia relations Romania has an embassy in Tunis.[6] Tunisia has an embassy in Bucharest and an honorary consulate in Timişoara. Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Romania (in French only)
Russia	1956	See Russia–Tunisia relations Russia has an embassy in Tunis, and Tunisia has an embassy in Moscow.
Serbia		Tunisia enjoy's good relations with Serbia and are important trading partners. Tunisia is a hugely popular tourist destination for Serbs as there is no visa required for Serb nationals entering the country.

[edit] Rest of world

[edit] Canada

[edit] Pakistan

Pakistan supported Tunisia on the issue of her complete control on Bazerta and declared it an integral part of Tunisia. People of Pakistan always supported Tunisia in their struggle of freedom. President Bou Raqiba of Tunisia had always supported Pakistan's point of view and both these countries enjoy very good relations.

[edit] United States

The States has very good relations with Tunisia, which date back more than 200 years. The United States has maintained official representation in Tunis almost continuously since 1795, and the American Friendship Treaty with Tunisia was signed in 1799. The two governments are not linked by security treaties, but relations have been close since Tunisia's independence. U.S.-Tunisian relations suffered briefly after the 1985 Israeli raid on PLO headquarters in Tunis, after the 1988 Tunis assassination of PLO nationalist Abu Jihad, and in 1990 during the Gulf War. In each case, however, relations warmed again quickly, reflecting strong bilateral ties. The United States and Tunisia have an active schedule of joint military exercises. U.S. security assistance historically has played an important role in cementing relations. The U.S.-Tunisian Joint Military Commission meets annually to discuss military cooperation, Tunisia's defense modernization program, and other security matters.

[edit] Foreign Ambassadors

• Farid Abboud Lebanese Ambassador to Tunisia (2007-present)

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] See also

• Diplomatic missions of Tunisia
• List of diplomatic missions in Tunisia

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