Brussels, 31/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU foreign ministers decided on Monday 31 January to freeze the assets of toppled Tunisian president Ben Ali and those of his wife. The same sanction will be applied to other members of the Tunisian old guard and to people close to the former president, but the final list will only be decided in the next day or so, diplomats have revealed. The decision will come into effect once it had been formalised and published in the Official Journal. For the moment, the freeze on assets is not accompanied - as is usually the case when the EU takes sanctions against dictators - by a visa ban. Such a measure has not been ruled out for the future, however, diplomats state.
Aid for the preparation of elections. On Monday, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted conclusions in which it hails “the courage and determination of the Tunisian people” and their peaceful struggle to assert their rights and democratic aspirations. The EU reaffirms its total solidarity and its support for Tunisia and Tunisians in their efforts to put in place a stable democracy, the rule of law and democratic pluralism with full regard for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Council also welcomes the interim government's decision to hold democratic, free and transparent presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible. “The European Union is ready, at Tunisia's request, to lend its political support and its legal, technical and material assistance in preparing and organising the electoral process, inter alia by sending a preparatory mission and by observing the elections”, ministers state.
Strengthening the partnership. Ministers call, too, for the partnership between Tunisia and the EU to be strengthened to lend support to the affirmation of democracy and to economic and social reform. The EU says also that it is ready to mobilise every instrument at its disposal to help ease the passage of political, economic and social reform in Tunisia, to strengthen its democratic institutions and to give greater support to civil society in the country. It intends, under the European neighbourhood policy, to update its strategy and assistance for Tunisia: it wants inter alia to bring the talks on advanced status to a conclusion with the government that emerges from the forthcoming democratic elections, the conclusions state. (H.B./transl.rt)