A Special Advertising Section on Tunisia

Ambassador Raphel: Encouraging Trade and Investment in Tunisia

Since her appointment in November 1997, U.S. Ambassador Robin Raphel has witnessed the country's continuous efforts in the area of social and economic development. She considers these accomplishments to be both impressive and a remarkable tribute to the Tunisian people.

Tunisians clearly take the high road in resolving issues and strive to accomplish peace, stability and economic prosperity in a methodical and cautious manner.

Despite a long diplomatic history between the two countries, there is still a noticeable lack of American presence on the Tunisian business scene.

Although the U.S. multinational giants of Mobil, General Motors and Boeing are operating here, there are still ample opportunities for American companies in such sectors as telecommunications and manufacturing.

The U.S. government's role regarding the promotion of foreign direct investment in Tunisia is to facilitate the dialogue and bring Americans and Tunisians to the bargaining table. To achieve these goals, the U.S. embassy hosts trade conferences and advises Americans on investment opportunities.

"Our part as representatives of the U.S. government is to ensure that American companies get a good informed picture of opportunities here and to level the playing field," explains Raphel.

Following the June 1998 visit to Tunisia by Stuart Eizenstat, undersecretary of state for economic affairs, the Eizenstat Initiative was launched to establish an American-Maghreb partnership of economic cooperation.

Typically when U.S. companies are looking to expand their operations in an overseas markets, there are three principal considerations: political stability, economic growth and a large consumer base.

Tunisia already offers political stability and economic growth. By continuing the effort to create a trading union with Algeria and Morocco, Tunisia will add yet another dimension to its appeal as a site for foreign direct investment.

When asked for a summary of her experience as U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia, Raphel hesitated to give a simple answer.

After contemplating for a minute, she responded, "It is a pleasure on all levels to be in Tunisia."

This was perhaps an unfair question to ask. How can you sum up over 200 years of friendship that is still on-going?