Foreign Relations

Foreign relations under Habib Bourguiba were dominated by his personal conviction that Tunisia's future lay with the West and, in particular, with France and the United States. There were, nonetheless, some early crises including the French bombing raid on the Tunisian village of Saqiyat Sidi Yusuf in 1958, during which France claimed the right to pursue Algerian rebels; the Bizerte incident of 1961, concerning the continued military use of that port and airfield facility by France; and the suspension of all French aid in 1964-66 after Tunisia abruptly nationalized foreign-owned landholdings. These difficulties aside, Tunisia's relations with France have been improving, as have relations with the United States, despite some tensions with the latter over its involvement in the Gulf War and policies toward the developing world. Alignment with the West was never allowed to interfere with positive trade policies toward the developing world and what was then the Soviet bloc. Rather than balance East against West, Bourguiba maximized Tunisia's advantages by maintaining good relations with both, thereby reducing the country's dependency on either one. Bourguiba's pragmatism also extended to the Arab world. Rejecting ideological constraints, he argued for the Arab recognition of Israel and Arab unity based on mutually advantageous cooperation rather than political integration.

Under Ben Ali, Tunisia has followed much the same path. The need for regional security and the desire to advance economic interests, especially trade and foreign investment, guides foreign policy. With the uncertain future and stability of the Arab Maghreb Union, in the past few years Tunisia has concentrated efforts on developing bilateral economic agreements with other Arab states, on promoting the Arab League's Arab Free Trade Area, and in advancing regional economics. An agreement with the European Union, which came into effect in 1998, has also tied Tunisia's economy and security to the Mediterranean community. Attempts to diversify trading links have led to closer ties with the East and Southeast Asia, and strong ties with the United States remain a linchpin in Tunisia's ability to present itself as a stable, reliable, and moderate state. Tunisia is keen on supporting international organizations, in particular the United Nations, which it sees as the protector of smaller states and the defender of international law.

Source http://www.tunisiadaily.com/precolhisT.htm