Brussels, 17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - European Council President Herman Van Rompuy made his first ever visit to Tunisia on 15 January. He described his meeting with Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali as “very positive”, saying: “I assured him that the EU gives Tunisia its full support as Tunisia carries out the process of democratic transition. Further to the political agreement on the privileged partnership concluded last November and implemented by the new action plan on the occasion of the association council in Brussels, the EU is ready to progress more rapidly in reinforcing its relations with Tunisia, through implementation of the action plan objectives that we have established by common accord” (our translation throughout).
With regard to political matters, he restated the stance expressed during recent Euro-Tunisian meetings, namely the fact that Europe expects progress to be made in the democratisation process, especially in areas pertaining to an independent justice system, a strengthened role for the civil society and for women, media independence, consolidation of democracy and freedoms, as well as reform of the security sector.
In his statement to the press, however, Van Rompuy did not speak of the country's security situation which is generally considered as being on the decline and, in a speech delivered on the 2nd anniversary of the “revolution”, the acting president of the Tunisian Republic, Moncef Marzouki, openly expressed concern. He had also called on the prime minister's (Islamist) majority party in the constitutive assembly to complete the drafting of the constitution within two months at most and to prepare new elections without delay, to be held by the summer. This stance directly concerns the majority party accused of wasting time with regard to domestic reforms but also of being vague in foreign policy. Tunisia's foreign minister expressed clear reticence about the intervention in Mali when speaking on Tuesday. (FB/transl.jl)