[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 20, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2420-S2421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FORTY YEARS OF TUNISIAN INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, legend has it that more than 200 years ago, 
the bey of Tunis, as token of esteem and friendship, sent one of his 
finest stallions to U.S. President George Washington. Unfortunately, 
customs officials in the nascent republic denied entry to the horse, 
which spent its remainder of its days in the port of Baltimore. After 
this somewhat rocky start, I am happy to report that U.S.-Tunisian 
relations have improved considerably. Today, in fact, marks the 40th 
anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Tunisia as an 
independent country, a time during which Tunisia has enjoyed a strong 
and healthy relationship with the United States. Today I wish to 
congratulate Tunisia for its many accomplishments, and to highlight 
some of the instances of cooperation between our two countries.
  In recent years, Tunisia has taken positive steps towards the 
establishment of a more democratic system of government. Although the 
ruling party continues to dominate the political scene, Tunisia has 
made an effort to broaden political debate, including recent passage of 
an electoral law that reserved 19 seats of the National Assembly for 
members of opposition political parties. Because the government has 
placed a high priority on funding social programs, today Tunisia has 
literacy and life expectancy rates that are among the highest in the 
region. I hope that the United States will continue to work with 
Tunisia on efforts such as these to open up the political process and 
to improve the living standards of the population. This should help 
Tunisia to overcome some of the difficulties it continues to encounter 
in balancing secular and Muslim interests in the country.
  Tunisia also has a very impressive economic record. In the last 10 
years, the government has turned to economic programs designed to 
privatize state-owned companies and to reform the banking and financial 
sectors. As a result, Tunisia's economy has grown at an average rate of 
4.5 percent over the last 3 years, and its economic success has had a 
beneficial impact on Tunisia's international standing. Tunisia joined 
GATT in 1990, and in 1995, the government signed a free-trade accord 
with the European Union.
  In contrast to some of its Arab neighbors, Tunisia has achieved 
particular success in the promotion of women's rights. Under the 
direction of President Ben Ali, the number of Tunisian women and girls 
receiving an education--up through the university level--has risen 
dramatically. Women are protected under the law from forced early 
marriages and domestic violence. I applaud these steps and urge the 
Tunisian government to continue its efforts to expand personal freedoms 
for all of its citizens.
  Tunisia and the United States have also explored ways to cooperate on 
international security issues. In fact, the 14th Annual Joint Military 
Commission of Tunisia and the United States met in Tunis over the last 
2 days. Tunisia also has played an active role in U.N. peacekeeping 
missions, contributing military contingents to operations in Cambodia, 
Somalia, the Western Sahara, and Rwanda.
  Finally, Tunisia has been a welcome force for moderation I the Middle 
East peace process. The government has taken an active role within the 
Arab community in promoting better ties with Israel. In April of this 
year, Israel and Tunisia will establish official interests sections to 
facilitate political consultations, travel, and trade. Tunisia has 
condemned the recent suicide bomb attacks in Israel and has called for 
greater international efforts to fight terrorism.
  As I alluded to earlier, the relationship between the United States 
and Tunisia goes back nearly 200 years, to the very beginnings of 
American independence. Tunisia was among the first to recognize the 
United States as a sovereign country. As Tunisia celebrates the 40th 
anniversary of its own independence, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
offering a sincere expression of congratulations.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today Tunisia celebrates its 40th 
anniversary of independence from French colonialism. I want to join in 
congratulating Tunisia on its social and economic accomplishments of 
the last 40 years, and to thank the Tunisians for their historic 
friendship with America.
  Two years ago I visited Tunisia with Senator Simon and Senator Reid. 
Initially, our visit was planned to meet with President Ben Ali, who at 
that time was President of the Organization of African Unity. However, 
we quickly learned that Tunisia itself is a story of many other 
achievements as well.
  As a small, secular Muslim country, nestled between two major, 
unstable powers, Libya and Algeria, Tunisia is playing an important and 
positive role in international politics. Because of its geography, it 
is a member of both the Middle East and Africa, and I am impressed how 
it has taken an active position in both regions.
  In 1982, after Yasir Arafat was driven from Beirut, Tunisia opened 
its doors and hosted the Palestinian Liberation Organization for 14 
years. I believe that Tunisia's secular and developed society had a 
moderating influence on Arafat, which was a critical factor in 
launching the Middle East peace process. Likewise, it is no surprise to 
me that Tunisia was the first Arab country to host a U.N. multilateral 
meeting in connection with the Middle East peace process, or that it 
will be among the first Arab countries to establish formal diplomatic 
relations with Israel next month.
  Tunisia has also tried to help mediate some of the conflicts between 
its neighbors in sub-Saharan Africa. President Ben Ali served as 
President of the Organization of African Unity at a time when the OAU 
was being re-vitalized as a regional organization, and he helped begin 
preparations for a conflict resolution center at the OAU. Just this 
week, Tunisia hosted a regional conference on the Great Lakes which 
addressed the heated conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi, and the effects 
of refugees in Central Africa.
  Tunisia has also, by necessity, been at the forefront of the 
international struggle against terrorism. Out of geographic necessity, 
it has worked diligently and consistently in international efforts 
against violence and extremism. Indeed, despite the terrorist threats 
it faces from Algeria and Libya on all its borders, Tunisia still 
attended the recent international conference on terrorism in Sharm-el-
Shekh, and re-affirmed its commitment to moderation.
  I believe Tunisia needs to be supported for these important steps. It 
is an invaluable partner as we form alliances for the 21st century. But 
Tunisia should also be congratulated for its economic and social 
achievements. In many areas--particularly family planning, 
opportunities for women, education, and economic reform--Tunisia can 
provide a model of development in the Mediterranean.
  When I was in Tunisia, I was greatly impressed by the government's 
commitment to family planning and the development of opportunities for 
women. Tunisia is one of the world's success stories in family 
planning: birth control is widely available for those who desire it, 
and government clinics are focussed on promoting women's health. This 
was a very far-sighted and constructive decision by the government. As 
a result, the country has been able to harness the potential of most of 
its population, and, not coincidentally, has made significant economic 
gains.
  Because of these effective programs, Tunisia was graduated from 
United States assistance, and is now entering

[[Page S2421]]

an era of partnership with the United States. Indeed, in many ways, 
Tunisia is a fine example of a foreign aid success.
  Tunisia has great potential for leadership in the 21st century. But 
it is a country facing severe security risks. As we appreciate its 
accomplishments of the last 40 years, we must commit to do what we can 
to ensure Tunisia will continue to develop politically and 
economically, and enable it to continue to support United States goals 
of stability and democracy in the Middle East and Africa.

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