VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0938/01 3631400
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291400Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7108
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TUNIS 000938 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR S/P (BEHRMAN), R (NOOR-ALI), S/SRMC (CHANDLER), EEB, AND NEA/MAG 
 
PLEASE PASS USTR (BURKHEAD), USAID (MCCLOUD), AND SBA (SMITH) 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (MASON), ADVOCACY CTR (TABINE), AND CLDP 
(TEJTEL AND MCMANUS) 
CASABLANCA FOR FCS (KITSON) 
NSC STAFF FOR SENIOR DIRECTOR RAMAMURTHY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV EAIR TS
SUBJECT: Tunisia:  Ambassador Highlights Cairo Goals and Trade 
Relations with Commerce Minister 
 
Ref: Tunis 907 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) In a December 24 courtesy call, the Ambassador and Minister 
of Commerce and Handicrafts Ridha Ben Mosbah discussed U.S.-Tunisia 
trade and investment and USG initiatives following the President's 
Cairo speech.  While the Minister emphasized his desire for a free 
trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, the Ambassador pushed 
for progress on the U.S.-Tunisia Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement (TIFA) and on an Open Skies agreement.  End summary. 
 
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Entrepreneurship and Franchising 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) HigQighting the key themes of the President's Cairo speech 
in a December 24 courtesy call, the Ambassador explained the goals 
of the March 1-2 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship and 
indicated that several Tunisian entrepreneurs would be invited.  The 
Ambassador also emphasized franchising as an important vehicle for 
technology transfer and job creation.  He expressed strong support 
for recent developments in franchising, such as the August 2009 
franchising law (and the implementation decree expected in February 
2010) and the December 10-13 Tunis Med Franchise Show (reftel). 
 
¶3. (U) Minister Ben Mosbah replied that the Government of Tunisia 
(GOT) has prioritized entrepreneurship and the creation of small and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  Its legal framework, he said, 
promotes SME creation through entrepreneurship and "spin-off" 
operations, and has helped establish 70,000 new SMEs in the last 
five years.  Still, remarked Ben Mosbah, the GOT and universities 
are working to overcome "cultural barriers" and encourage 
entrepreneurship among youth. 
 
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Science and Technology 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) The Ambassador previewed the visit of science envoy Dr. Elias 
Zerhouni, highlighting the relevance of science and technology 
cooperation to trade and investment.  The Minister, who knows Dr. 
Zerhouni from a previous position, was pleased to learn of the visit 
and suggested several "technopoles" and other technology sites to 
include in the visit. 
 
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Hoping for an FTA 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Minister Ben Mosbah repeatedly raised his interest in 
pursuing an FTA similar to the U.S.-Morocco agreement.  Pointing to 
 
GOT progress on issues such as intellectual property and 
anti-counterfeiting, he said that he was interested in continuing 
talks on the 2002 TIFA but that his ultimate goal was to sign an 
FTA.  The Ambassador focused on the need to make progress first on 
the TIFA and raised the possibility of an Open Skies agreement to 
increase trade and investment.  He added that the Embassy had 
recently (in September) submitted a model text of an Open Skies 
agreement to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was awaiting a 
response. 
 
-------------------------- 
Next Step:  GOT Road Show? 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Minister Ben Mosbah described the GOT's "Think Tunisia" 
outreach campaign (www.thinktunisia.tn), in which he and other 
officials have made presentations at trade shows in Europe to 
promote investment in Tunisia.  He suggested, and the Ambassador 
agreed, that GOT outreach to the United States could help promote 
Tunisia's image as a destination for U.S. investment in high-tech 
industry and information technology.  The Ambassador pledged to 
research opportunities (at trade shows, technology fairs, etc.) for 
the Minister to plan an outreach road show in the United States. 
 
GRAY