Address by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at the ceremony of accreditation of new foreign ambassadors Carthage, July 10, 2008 In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Excellencies, It is my distinct pleasure, as I receive the letters accrediting you as ambassadors of your sisterly and friendly countries to Tunisia, to extend to you a warm welcome, wishing you all success in your mission and a pleasant stay in our country. I take this opportunity to convey to the Leaders of your respective countries my sincere thanks and deep consideration for their noble feelings toward Tunisia and its people, wishing them all success and happiness, and your countries sustained prosperity and progress. I am also pleased to reaffirm to you our determination to offer you the best of conditions for the accomplishment of your mission, and to promote communication and dialogue with you, in order to strengthen the bonds of fraternity, friendship and cooperation between Tunisia and your respective countries. Excellencies, We have opted for development and modernization as a firm choice in our policy, so as to elevate our country to the ranks of advanced nations. With firm determination, we are pursuing our action to consolidate the process of democracy and pluralism, expand public freedoms, broaden the scope of political participation, to promote the human rights protection system and the values of tolerance and openness, strengthen the foundations of the republican system and rule of law, and achieve sustainable and comprehensive development for our people. We have managed to accomplish numerous achievements in all fields, which has offered Tunisia an advanced position in the reports issued by specialized UN and international organizations and bodies, particularly as regards the indicators pertaining to human development, human rights, economic performance, competitiveness, civil service development, and social stability. This can only prompt us to step up action and perseverance so as to preserve and enrich our gains, with the participation of all members of our civil society, and relying on our own capacities and potentialities, as well as on our excellent relations with sisterly and friendly countries. Excellencies, The deep and rapid changes and the huge and complex challenges characterizing our world today, particularly the excessive and continuous rise of the prices of oil, food products and raw materials, compel us all to step up efforts in order to reduce the adverse effects of these changes, particularly on developing countries, to confer a solidarity dimension on international relations, and to offer all countries around the world the opportunity to achieve development and ensure the attributes of decent life for their peoples. On its part, Tunisia has, on various occasions, called for the necessity to settle conflicts through peaceful means, to avoid violence and confrontation, to opt for dialogue and consensus, to promote communication and complementarity among cultures, civilizations and religions, to reject seclusion and all forms of extremism and fanaticism, and to fight terrorism and eradicate its root causes according to a comprehensive international approach to which all parties shall be committed. Our country has also endeavored to promote its relations in the various areas where it belongs, at the regional and international levels, while remaining committed to its national sovereignty and to its cultural and civilizational specificities. In this context, we have placed the Arab Maghreb Union in the forefront of our strategic choices. We have endeavored, in coordination with our brothers the Leaders of Maghreb countries, to resume our Union's process and to activate its institutions, in line with the aspirations of Maghreb peoples for complementarity and integration. We have also endeavored, jointly with our brothers the Leaders of Arab States, to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, to activate the mechanisms of joint Arab action, and to promote development and modernization in our countries. On the other hand, Tunisia has firmly and continuously supported the brotherly Palestinian people in its struggle to recover its legitimate rights and establish its independent state. On various occasions, it has called on all parties, particularly the influential international forces and the Quartet members, to join their efforts in order to promote the peace process and resume negotiations in accordance with international references and the Arab Peace Initiative. This will put an end to the sufferance of the Palestinian people, ensure for Syria and Lebanon the recovery of their occupied territories, and provide security and stability for all the peoples of the region. While taking note, with satisfaction, of the fact that our Lebanese brothers have managed to fill the constitutional vacuum and elect the president of the republic, which has spared this sisterly country the danger of division and internal strife, we hope that efforts will be pursued by all Lebanese forces in order to undertake the necessary remaining steps to form their government and preserve their country's security and stability. We also hope the Iraqi political forces will manage to promote national reconciliation, so as to put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people, and to devote themselves for the reconstruction of their country, within a context of unity and stability. At the European level, we have endeavored to join the various initiatives of cooperation and partnership with the European Union, and to elevate the relations of cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean to the level of solidarity-based partnership that helps promote security, stability and development in the Mediterranean basin. At the African level, Tunisia is endeavoring to further strengthen the relations of cooperation with all African countries, to enhance the African Union process, to activate its institutions, and to foster its role in settling conflicts and establishing security and stability in the Continent, so that its peoples can devote their efforts to development. We are also keen on further promoting our relations with the countries of the American and Asian continents, and on using all available means to enrich the fields of cooperation with them. Excellencies, I am convinced that your accreditation as ambassadors to Tunisia will contribute to further deepening consultation and coordination with your sisterly and friendly countries, and to enhancing the relations of cooperation with them in all fields. To conclude, I once again extend to you a warm welcome, and wish you all success in your mission. Thank you for your attention.