LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER STRESSES SUPPORT TO DEMOCRATIC REFORMS IN TUNISIA
On 1 July in Vilnius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis met with Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Mouldi Kéfi and stressed that Tunisia could count on both Lithuania and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for assistance.A.Ažubalis said that Lithuania was in solidarity with the people of Tunisia, who peacefully stepped on a democratic path and, together with the international community – the EU, UN, OSCE, the Community of Democracies and other organizations – supported Tunisia and its efforts to establish a stable democratic state.
The Minister reiterated that the OSCE and its institutions, especially the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), were ready to assist the transition to democracy in Tunisia. Among the possible areas of OSCE assistance to Tunisia, he mentioned election support, strengthening independent media, drafting legislation, improving border management and travel document security, as well as migration management.The Tunisian Foreign Minister thanked his Lithuanian counterpart for his visit to Tunisia in mid-April, as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. According to the Tunisian Foreign Minister, this visit became an important symbol of support. The guest spoke about Lithuania’s contribution to the development of the Community of Democracies during its Presidency just as positively.
Minister A.Ažubalis stressed that Lithuania was interested to expand the bilateral agenda, intensify economic, trade and cultural cooperation with Tunisia, mutual tourist exchanges, youth contacts and to create a legal base for the cooperation.
The Tunisian Foreign Minister is taking part in the Community of Democracies events in Vilnius. As Lithuania’s Presidency of the Community of Democracies is about to end, the international democratic development events in Vilnius from June 29 to July 1 focus on new democracies and civil society. Lithuania took over the biennial Presidency of the Community of Democracies in July 2009 and passes it to Mongolia on 1 July this year.
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