TUNISIA: UPDATE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

UNCLAS TUNIS 000116 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/P (BEHRMAN),S/SRMC (CHANDLER),R (NOOR-ALI) ALSO FOR NEA/RA, NEA/PPD, AND NEA/MAG NSC STAFF FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR RAMAMURTHY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PREL TS SUBJECT: TUNISIA: UPDATE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAIRO-MARRAKECH AGENDA REF: A. TUNIS 22 ¶B. TUNIS 20 ¶C. 09 STATE 130991 ¶D. 09 TUNIS 921 ¶E. 09 TUNIS 907 ¶F. 09 TUNIS 880 ¶G. 09 TUNIS 833 Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) This is an action message. Please see paragraphs four and five. -------------- Science Envoy Visit -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Embassy continues to plan for the March 8-9 visit to Tunisia of U.S. Science Envoy Elias Zerhouni. Senior GOT officials have told the Ambassador they look forward to welcoming Dr. Zerhouni. The Embassy is preparing a program that will include calls on senior GOT leaders, a visit to a new Science and Technology research park/business incubator, meetings with prominent Tunisian business leaders and scientists, and a reception hosted by the Ambassador. -------------- Entrepreneurship Summit -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As of February 16, Embassy Tunis can confirm that one invitee to the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship has both the funding and the visa needed to assure her attendance. In a recent meeting, this invitee (Ms. Zahra Ben Nasr from the Center for Young Entrepreneurs) expressed her enthusiasm to attend the Summit as both a learning experience and a networking opportunity. Two other invitees are likely to attend: one holds a valid visa, the other has applied and will likely receive a visa, and neither has approached us on funding. Neither of the two remaining invitees has yet applied for a visa, despite our repeated reminders, and both have approached us for funding. We estimate that $2,500 per invitee would cover airfare and per diem. -------------- Action Requests -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Embassy requests Department guidance on the availability of approximately $5,000 to support the participation of two Tunisians at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. ¶5. (SBU) The Embassy also requests designation of Dr. Mahmoud Triki, Dean of the Southern Mediterranean School of Business, as an alternate invitee in the event any of the invitees designated in ref C are unable to attend the Summit. GRAY