SENIOR TUNISIAN OFFICIALS ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000066 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2020 TAGS: PREL KPAL IS IZ TS SUBJECT: SENIOR TUNISIAN OFFICIALS ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE, IRAQ REF: A. 09 TUNIS 744 ¶B. 09 TUNIS 688 Classified by Ambassador Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a January 26 courtesy call on Abdelhafidh El Herguem, Secretary of State for Arab and African Affairs at the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador highlighted the USG's sustained efforts to revive Middle East peace talks. El Herguem said that Tunisia was closely following Special Envoy Mitchell's recent travels in the region. He repeated the standard Tunisian position that Israel needed to freeze settlement construction. The Ambassador pressed El Herguem to use Tunisia's influence with Palestinian Authority President Abbas to push for a return to negotiations. ¶2. (C) In a separate January 26 meeting, Tunisian MFA Secretary of State for Asia and the Americas, Saida Chtoui, told DAS Sanderson "you can rely on us" for support on the Middle East peace process. "We can influence the Palestinians," she asserted, "President Abbas often comes to Tunis and usually listens to President Ben Ali's good advice." The Ambassador opined that Abbas needs to hear encouragement from Arab colleagues to resume negotiations, even if his demand for an Israeli settlement freeze, supported by the USG, has not been fulfilled. ¶3. (C) In his conversation with El Herguem, the Ambassador encouraged Tunisia to begin planning for confidence-building measures the GOT could take once negotiations recommence; he cited participation in multilateral working groups and reestablishment of Tunisia's presence in Tel Aviv as two examples. El Herguem took these suggestions on board but offered no substantive comment. ¶4. (C) With El Herguem, the Ambassador also broached Tunisia's relations with Iraq, noting that Tunisia had maintained a continuous diplomatic presence in Baghdad. El Herguem replied that Tunisia was following the run up to the March 7 national elections with great interest, and he agreed with the Ambassador that it was important to continue the process of integrating Iraq into the Arab world. The Ambassador asked whether Tunisia had plans to make a statement on the March 7 elections or to send observers; El Herguem demurred. GRAY