A Special Advertising Section on Tunisia

Tunisia champions peace at home and abroad

Most of us can relate to working in a non-descript office building where function usually wins over style. Tunisia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, however, is an elegant reflection of the country's 3,000-year-old history.

Originally built as the palace, for the Bey (the Tunisian sovereign) the regal architecture is a myriad of styles comprised of Andalusian arches in black and white marble, hand worked ceilings in Italian, Moroccan and Arab motifs, and hundreds of Western and Eastern inspired floor to ceiling ceramic tiles.

You realize that such a heightened and divergent sense of aesthetics could not have been developed overnight-and neither was Tunisia.

Tunisia's greatness is derived from its people rather than its geography or natural resources. One of Tunisia's top diplomats, and the current chief of staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hatem Atallah, explains in flawless English how his country has inherited the best characteristics from the many civilizations that have invaded it. Tunisians have acquired a Carthaginian sense of trade, Roman discipline, Byzantine conversational skills, a love of Arabic poetry and from the French, an appreciation of Cartesian theory.

Although many civilizations have contributed to the national identity, the Republic of Tunisia has always been one country, one nation. Whether along the Mediterranean coastline in the north and east, or in the Sahara in the south, the common language is Arabic and the common religion is Islam.

Perhaps more importantly, Tunisians share a remarkable sense of solidarity and nationhood that has remained constant throughout its history.

Tunisia does not exist as a hermetically sealed society, but rather in one that is intertwined and in tune with the international community.

"Promoting peace in a balanced policy of openness and moderation underlies Tunisian international policy," explains Atallah.

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali began his presidency on November 7, 1987 acknowledging his commitment to the preservation of world peace. In his speech to his compatriots, he proclaimed to the nation, "We shall continue to keep up our good relations and positive co-operation with all other countries, particularly friendly and sister countries. We shall respect our international engagement."

Tunisia has always felt a particular kinship with their fellow Africans, whether from the Maghreb or sub-Saharan Africa. Soon after achieving independence from France in 1956, Tunisia demonstrated its commitment to participate in regional conflicts by sending peacekeepers to Congo/Kinshasa.

On the African continent, Tunisian foreign policy has always discouraged separating Africa into Northern and sub-Saharan. "For us, the Sahara is a bridge and not a separation."

In a July 1997 African/American summit in Zimbabwe, Atallah discussed the issue of diversity with the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Leon Sullivan. The real wealth of Africa is the diversity of peoples: Blacks, Whites, Indians, Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Christians and agnostics. Arabs of the Maghreb and Afrikaners of South Africa are as much a part of the African fabric as Hutus and Tutsis of Burundi and Rwanda.

Tunisia also shares a long history with the United States, having recently celebrated two hundred years of bilateral relations. Beginning in the 18th century to help end piracy along the "Barbary Coast", Tunisia lent assistance to the American merchant fleet in the Mediterranean.

As a token of friendship to the American people, Tunisia donated a stone towards the construction of the Washington Monument. In the spirit of reciprocity, the United States was the first country to recognize Tunisia's independence from France in 1956.

Through the passage of time, the United States and Tunisia have learned to respect each other's positions on foreign policy even when their views differ. For example, in the area of Middle East affairs, the feeling among some of Tunisia's deputies in parliament is that the U.S. has a tendency to take a pro-Israel position at the expensive of some Arab nations. The sentiment is that U. S. policy in the Middle East peace process does not always reflect American objectivity.

Regardless of some differences in foreign policy, these two countries share a unique relationship of mutual respect.

Tunisia has mastered the art of diplomacy. Tunisians understand that being a member of the international community starts with advocating peace at home.