TUNISIA SHINES, SARKOZY STUMBLES DURING APRIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000434 NOFORN SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION NEA/MAG (HOPKINS/HARRIS); DRL (JOHNSTONE/KLARMAN); EEB/TRA/AN (FINSTON); EEB/CBA (WINSTEAD/GILMAN) USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (NATE MASON) AND ADVOCACY (REITZE) LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO TS SUBJECT: TUNISIA SHINES, SARKOZY STUMBLES DURING APRIL 28-30 VISIT Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) French President Nicolas Sarkozy concluded a 48-hour visit to Tunisia on April 30, which was dominated by big business deals and strong criticism from Tunisia's human rights community. The visit paved the way for Sarkozy's planned July summit to launch the Mediterranean Union and economic issues were at the forefront of his agenda. Sarkozy signed bilateral accords on civil nuclear energy and immigration cooperation and finalized the sale of 16 Airbus planes to state-owned Tunisair to the tune of an estimated 1.85 billion euros. Yet it was his gloss on Tunisia's human rights situation that dominated the headlines in independent and foreign press and provoked criticism from civil society activists. Sarkozy's praise for Tunisia's "progress" on liberties harkened back to former President Jacques Chirac's 2003 comment that Tunisia's human rights record was "advanced." While Sarkozy's visit was criticized by many in the human rights community, other activists welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the significant, and negative, French press coverage. Domestically, the visit was largely a success for the GOT, which escaped even mild criticism on political issues and accomplished a number of its economic objectives. End Summary. -------------- Sarko Makes the Sale -------------- ¶2. (U) During his April 28-30 state visit to Tunisia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy proved he is France's number one salesman, promoting not only his Mediterranean Union, but also sealing the deal for Airbus and signing an accord on civil nuclear cooperation. The visit took place as Sarkozy attempts to gain support for his Mediterranean Union ahead of the July summit on the issue. President Ben Ali is a strong supporter of the Mediterranean Union, and Tunisia is rumored to be the future home of the Union's headquarters. Sarkozy, arriving with 120 French executives in tow, delivered an address before the two-day Euromed Capital Forum, which brought together 500 Tunisian and French business executives. In his speech to the forum, Sarkozy stated that the Mediterranean region is "our future" and could become a regional powerhouse to rival Asia. ¶3. (SBU) The highlight of Sarkozy's visit was the announcement that state-owned Tunisair would purchase 16 Airbus planes as part of a larger fleet upgrade. According to press reports, Tunisair signed a 1.85 billion euro contract to purchase ten A320s, three A330s and three A350s (with options for one A350 and two A320s). In turn, Airbus will build an aircraft construction plant that will employ nearly 2,000 people. While representatives from Boeing, which was also in the running, were disappointed, they were not surprised given Boeing's inability to supply 737s and 787s by Tunisair's target dates. Boeing anticipates that Tunisair will sign a contract for three 737s and establish a training partnership with Boeing subsidiary Jeppeson. ¶4. (U) Sarkozy's visit was capped off by the signature of a civil nuclear energy accord, which follows France's signature of similar agreements with Morocco, Algeria, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement provides for training engineers and exchanging technical expertise, and paves the way for France's construction of as many as two nuclear power plants in the next 10 to 15 years. Additionally, French firm Alstom won a 360 million euro contract to build a 400 megawatt power plant in Ghannouch, in the southern governorate of Gabes. -------------- -- Tunisia Gets Funding and Immigration Agreements -------------- -- ¶5. (U) In return for Tunisia's agreement to accept the return of Tunisian deportees, France agreed to expedite the processing of private and professional visas for Tunisians. The GOT also agreed to relinquish the right of Tunisians residing in France illegally for ten years to acquire legal residency (Note: Sarkozy revoked the related law, but the provision was still applicable to Tunisians under a bilateral agreement.) In return, France pledged to issue 3,500 visas for professionals working in engineering, construction, electronics, and computers. Separately, the French Development Agency signed four agreements with the Tunisian Ministry of Development and International Cooperation to provide a total of 138 million euros in project funding for agriculture, housing and energy. -------------- It's Business, Not Personal -------------- ¶6. (C) While Sarkozy's visit can be deemed a success on the economic front, his comments on human rights provoked a furor in Tunisia and abroad. During an April 28 state dinner hosted by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Sarkozy remarked, "...the space of liberties (in Tunisia) is growing," and lauded Ben Ali for his support of womens' rights, promotion of education, and his moratorium on the death penalty. International and domestic NGOs reacted negatively to Sarkozy's comments, particularly given the ongoing hunger strike of two journalists from the opposition weekly al-Mowqif (Ref A). Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) President Mokhtar Trifi on April 29, who met with French State Secretary for Human Rights Rama Yade on the margins of the visit, issued a statement criticizing Sarkozy's characterization of civil liberties in Tunisia. Despite their hopes, few other Tunisian activists met with Yade, who canceled a scheduled meeting with the independent Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD). One Western diplomat opined that on human rights Sarkozy was "worse than Chirac" because while Chirac may not have criticized Tunisia, neither did he endorse the GOT's policies. However, some Tunisian activists noted the visit had given them significant exposure in the French and international press, where they were able to present their criticism of Tunisia's human rights record. -------------- Comment: Business as Usual -------------- ¶7. (C/NF) The Ben Ali regime got a political pass from Sarkozy, who appeared focused on advancing French influence in and commercial ties with Tunisia and the Mediterranean. When he was elected, Tunisian activists were cautiously optimistic that France might take a stronger stance on the need for political reform. After his July 2007 visit (Ref B) that was followed by the pardon of activist Mohamed Abbou, many thought Sarkozy would continue to quietly press Tunisia to make more political progress. If he did so in private, the pomp and circumstance of this visit left many here with the impression that Sarkozy, like Chirac before him, had only France's commercial interests in mind. We are exploring Sarkozy's visit in greater depth with French and Tunisian officials. We will report further as appropriate. GODEC