Hague heads to Tunisia to bolster new regime
By politics.co.uk staff
Foreign secretary William Hague is meeting Tunisia’s new interim government.
His visit, coming in the wake of mass protests which ousted former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power, is the first stage of the Foreign Office’s bid to bolster the north African country’s fledgling democracy.
New UK funding supporting reform projects covering access to justice, freedom of expression, democratic institutions and civil society are set to be announced.
“The coalition government has invested significant time and effort since taking office to intensifying the UK’s historic partnerships in the Middle East and Gulf as part of a distinctive and long-term British foreign policy towards the region,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“The visit will seek to further strengthen these ties.”
Mr Hague will visit five countries on his trip to the Middle East and Africa, although these are not expected to include Egypt – where mass protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square are calling for president Hosni Mubarak to step down immediately.
The Foreign Office had sought to keep Mr Hague’s visit to Tunisia quiet for security reasons, but the foreign secretary had publicly announced his travel plans hours before setting off.
Mr Hague tweeted: “Heading to Tunisia to meet the new interim government and show UK support for the people of Tunisia and their democratic hopes.”
