Cablegate: Ambassador Presses Foreign Ministry On Tip

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0850 3231631
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191631Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6995

UNCLAS TUNIS 000850

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR G/TIP, NEA/RA, AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SMIG KTIP KCRM KWMN TS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOREIGN MINISTRY ON TIP

REF: A. TUNIS 831
B. TUNIS 775
C. TUNIS 758

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

(SBU) On November 19, the Ambassador pressed Mourad
Belhassan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry's Americas
Desk, on the Embassy's outstanding request for a meeting with
the Ministry of Justice's Coordinator General, Rida
Khemakhem, whom the Justice Minister had previously named as
a point of contact on TIP (ref c). Belhassan reiterated the
GOT's view that Tunisia's placement on the Tier II Watchlist
was not in line with realities in the country, but accepted
the Ambassador's argument that regularizing our bilateral
dialogue on TIP was key to reconciling our different
perspectives on trafficking in Tunisia. The Embassy will
continue to press for this and other opportunities for
substantive engagement with the GOT on TIP.

GRAY

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