AMBASSADOR RAISES THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000456 SIPDIS NEA/FO, NEA/MAG, NEA/SCA/EX STATE ALSO FOR A/OPR, DS/OFM, L/DL E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2019 TAGS: ASCH OFDP PGOV PREL TS SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL WITH MINISTER OF STATE BEN DHIA REF: A. TUNIS 339 ¶B. TUNIS 286 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Roobert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and(d) ¶1. (C) On the margins of his July 9 meeting with Minister of State Abdelaziz Ben Dhia (septel, not all addressees) the Ambassador took the opportunity to raise the issue of the American Cooperative School of Tunis (ACST). He informed Ben Dhia that the Embassy had delivered to the MFA that morning the text of a draft agreement on the school to resolve the outstanding issues. The Ambassador noted that while the tax issue had been agreed in principle, the land and status issues remained unresolved. He stressed the US view that "all issues must be agreed before any are agreed upon." He explained that the issue had the attention of Washington and needed to be resolved quickly and amicably. Ben Dhia said he would ask Foreign Minister Abdallah about the issue. ¶2. (U) The Ambassador also noted that he would soon depart from Tunisia and expressed his appreciation for Ben Dhia's friendship, and the friendship of the government and the people of Tunisia. Ben Dhia said, he was sorry to see the Ambassador leave and that the Government of Tunisia was thankful for all the Ambassador had done to strengthen the ties between the two countries. Godec