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• January 18, 1992 - The African Leader, Nelson Mandela:

  I would like to praise President Ben Ali and his commitment to the African issues of Democracy and Human Rights and his contribution to the fight particularly against racial discrimination.

• February 26, 1996 - Dr. Hiroshima Nakajima, Director General of the World Health Organization:

  Consolidating social gains, promoting health for all, defending equity, respecting human rights, and fighting poverty and social exclusion are the objectives of the World Health Organization; and we pay tribute to President Ben Ali for having embraced these objectives.

• October 4, 1997 - Mr. Federico Mayor, Former Director General of the UNESCO:

  Honoring President Ben Ali as the first Head of State to be awarded this Medal is indeed a token of recognition on the part of the UNESCO for his contribution to promoting international cultural cooperation, and for his pioneering role in anchoring the values for which the UNESCO is working, particularly the dissemination of the culture of tolerance.

• December 4, 1997 - Pr. Marco Pacetti, President of the University of Ancona, Italy:

  Tunisia is a perfect example in terms of consecrating democracy and Human Rights. Its development planning and balanced growth reflect a great capacity to reconcile between the fundamental foundations of a modern and democratic society.

• February 13, 1999 - Her Majesty, Queen Margarethe II of Denmark:

  I praise President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for what he realized for Tunisia in the political, economic, and social fields.

• March 18, 1999 - Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II:

  Tunisia has, under the leadership of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, realized great achievements, particularly in the economic and social fields as well as in that of the promotion of women and the family.

• June 7, 2001 - His Excellency, Abdoulaye Wade, President of The Republic of the Senegal:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's initiative to create a National Solidarity Fund encloses propitious signs of hope to eradicate poverty from the world. I have discovered that Tunisia had come up with a scheme that The Senegal, and other African countries in general, could benefit from.

• May 1, 2002 - Mrs. Gaetana Pace, Secretary General of The Italian Human Rights League:

  Under the leadership of President Ben Ali, Tunisia stands out as the land of tolerance and fraternity, in a world marked by increasing fanaticism, extremism, and violence. Under the current circumstances, we are convinced that Tunisia can offer an example of peace and tolerance in the Mediterranean region.

• November 7, 2002 - Mr. Jacques Diouf, Secretary General of the Food and Agriculture Organization:

  Tunisia has achieved remarkable results and has given us very useful lessons drawn from the Tunisian Government's fundamental choices in the field of agricultural development. President Ben Ali’s sound vision for the future of farmers has allowed not only to place Tunisia on a promising track, but also to develop the concept of solidarity-based development.

• May 27, 2003 - Pr. Attilio Mastino, President of The University of Sassari, Italy:

  This award is a token of recognition for President Ben Ali's sustained efforts to promote dialogue among peoples, and reflects the University's admiration of the numerous achievements recorded in Tunisia under his leadership in all fields.

• October 31, 2003 - Mr. Vinton Gray Cerf, President of the World Internet Organization:

  President Ben Ali's outstanding vivacity and sound vision will help enhance Internet use at the personal and economic levels, and promote its applications in educational and health institutions.

• November 7, 2003 - Mrs. Maria Pagnini, Head of The International Diplomatic Relations Department. - Faculty of Political Sciences, The University of Trieste, Italy:

  Under President Ben Ali's leadership, Tunisia is an example to follow in the whole world. It is the cradle of civilizations, an example in promoting local cultures and the dialogue of civilizations and religions, and a model of democracy.

• January 6, 2004 - His Highness, Prince Naif Abdulaziz, Interior Minister of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Honorary President of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council:

  I express my highest esteem for the importance that President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali accords to the Arab situation, which comes as no surprise from His Excellence, being one of the major personalities of the Arab Nation to whom we wish success and accomplishment.

• April 24, 2004 - Mr. Eduardo Dos Santos, President of the Executive Board of The Gold Mercury International Organization:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is one of those Statesmen, thinkers, and reformists, whom the world in general, and the Arab World in particular, have known.

• April 30, 2004 - Mr. Yoshiro Mori, Former Prime Minister of Japan, President of the Japan-African Union League, and President of the Japanese-Tunisian Parliamentary Friendship League:

  Tunisia is following a moderate policy and is playing a great role in the Maghreb region and at the Mediterranean level.

• May 11, 2004 - His Excellency, Carlo Ciampi, Former President of the Republic of Italy:

  Tunisia is proving the possibility of compromising between the respect of cultural traditions and the realization of an economic and social development based on the principles of the respect of human dignity and solidarity. The model that Tunisia is presenting is a call for confidence as for the future of the relation between Tunisia, Italy, and the Arab World.

• May 27, 2004 - Dr. André Laronde, The Sorbonne University, Paris. France:

  Action to revive the Tunisian heritage, under the instigation of President Ben Ali, has made of Tunisia an example to follow by all Mediterranean countries and by the world as a whole.

• June 12, 2004 - Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish Foreign Minister:

  I have expressed my congratulations to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on the success that the Arab Summit witnessed, a success which proved once again the high level of responsibility and leadership that distinguish Tunisia and President Ben Ali.

• June 21, 2004 - Mr. Zeng Qinghong, Vice-President of The People′s Republic of China:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has an insightful and deep view concerning several issues, which impressed me deeply and heartily.

• July 3, 2004 - Mr. Rafael Martinetti, President of The International Judo Federation:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been keen on consolidating the values of security, social peace, tolerance, and openness, which are the outcome of interaction among great civilizations over three millenaries of history, through promoting the values of cultural and physical education and by granting sports and important position in his developmental policy.

• August 5, 2004 - Mrs. Georgie Anne Geyer, American Journalist:

  Tunisia is a country making progress in an era in which successful countries are not so many, whether in the Middle East or in Africa. One of the reasons of the success of the Tunisian experience resides in the fact that Tunisia knew how to take a specific approach to the enhancement of its people, which has made of it today a generous mixture between a rich past and a promising future.

• October 23, 2004 - Mrs. Béatrice Pottier, President of The Council of Francophone Women of Belgium:

  Thanks to the political determination of the President of the Republic, Tunisia was able to lay the bases for a society that rests on the principles of the respect of Human Rights, permeated by the values of solidarity and tolerance, and where inequities between men and women are excluded. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali′s political determination has made of the position that Tunisian women have gained the best testimony concerning the development of the Human Rights scheme in this country and what has been achieved in this field whether at the level of the legislations or in terms of practice, which allowed Tunisia to keep moving on the path of Democracy.

• October 24, 2004 - Mr. Mokhlis Qutb, Secretary General of The National Council for Human Rights, Egypt:

  What is going on in Tunisia is an interrelated and cohesive development which takes into consideration not only the national peculiarities but also the correlation between the economic, social, and political dimensions.

• December 7, 2004 - Joseph Sitruk, Former Chief Rabbi of France:

  Tunisia would make a haven of peace for the world, if we looked at it not only as a tourist attraction but also as a societal model and a coexistence example.

• December 10, 2004 - Mr. Anatoly Egorin, President of the Russian Association of Solidarity and Cooperation with Asian and African People:

  What has been achieved by the National Solidarity Fund is a pride for Tunisia due to its distinguished contribution to the achievement of social promotion and the building of a society of peace, justice, and balance.

• December 10, 2004 - Mrs. Ismet Al-Mirghini, President of the Afro-Asian Union of Lawyers for Human Rights:

  The major concerns of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali with protecting the country from extremists and terrorism led the Tunisian society to make one block and to stand against them, which has made the State′s economic and social policies guarantee a decent life to each citizen.

• December 10, 2004 - Mr. Manuel Pecchira, President of The Luso-Arab Cooperation Institute:

  Tunisia has, particularly since the Change of November 7, 1987, succeeded to move ahead on the path of development, democracy, and pluralism. Tunisia has always held a crucial and pivotal position in the relations between Europe and the Arab World, and it is playing a leading role in its environment, namely African and Mediterranean.

• January 18, 2005 - Mr. Amr Moussa, Secretary General of The Arab League of States:

  The year President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali presided the Arab Summit witnessed an important advancement despite the great Arab disagreements, as attested by the start of Arab Free Exchange Zone and the progress of the Economic and Social Council.

• January 19, 2005 - Baroness Elisabeth Symons, Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Middle-East and North Africa, Great Britain:

  The Tunisian experience in the field of Solidarity is considered extremely important and interesting, and that of the National Solidarity Fund a singular model.

• January 31, 2005 - Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Former French Prime Minister:

  Tunisia′s great interest in setting the bases for a Digital Society, particularly through the adoption of the High Speed Technique on the Internet Network and the consolidation of the digital infrastructure comes as no surprise, as President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is personally keen on Computer Science and the Digital Network. The important evolution that Tunisia has achieved in meeting the challenges of the future shows clearly to visitors.

• February 8, 2005 - Mr. Ibrahim Gouider, Secretary General of The Arab Labor Organization:

  The statistical, methodological, and scientific evidence of The Arab Labor Organization proved that Tunisia is the leading country regarding work and employment programs. The Tunisian experience deserves to be considered as a leading one particularly with regard to dialogue, social discussions, and unionist freedom.

• February 11, 2005 - Mr. Longin Pastusiak, Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland:

  I congratulate President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on his policy in favor of social and economic progress, as well as Interior stability. Tunisia provides an excellent example for the enlightenment policy which emanates from the deep awareness of social problems.

• March 28, 2005 - Mr. Joseph Borel, President of the European Parliament:

  Tunisia is considered as a distinctive model, having succeeded to benefit from its regular economic progress, political openness, and the development of its civil society. Should the other countries of the Euro-Mediterranean space have followed the Tunisian model in the field of openness and the consolidation of the cooperation and partnership relations, the situation would have been better in the Mediterranean region.

• April 14, 2005 - Mr. Ammar Addadi, President of the Mediterranean Games International Committee:

  President Ben Ali′s support and care for sports and Olympic action stand behind the achievements which Tunisia has realized in the field of sports in terms of results and at the level of the modern sports infrastructure.

• April 23, 2005 - Mr. Yasser Farhat, Chairperson of the Egypt-Europe Association for the Promotion of Friendship among Peoples:

  The glowing image of the beautiful Tunisia is the primary reason for the consideration that Tunisia and its political, economic, social, and popular institutions have earned among the nations of the world. The Arab public opinion poll confirms that the glory that President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali crafted on the Tunisian land offered the best positive images on the Arab World and that the great developmental experiences do not need ready-made prescriptions imported from abroad. But loyalty is the driving force which pulls the march of nations up to the summit.

• June 22, 2005 - Emperor Akihito of Japan:

  The reformist orientations that President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is undertaking have allowed Tunisia to realize important developmental results which consolidated its position on the international scene.

• September 29, 2005 - Mr. Francesco Cossiga, Former Italian Prime Minister:

  Tunisia holds a distinguished position in the North-African region. It is the most developed country at the level of democracy, a country of tolerance, and a haven of peace.

• October 25, 2005 - Mrs. Saïda Ben Habilès, Chairperson of the International Federation of Terrorism Victims Associations:

  We are proud of what Tunisia has achieved in the area of dealing with social discrepancies due to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali′s sound policy, the most distinguishing principles of which are the consolidation of national solidarity and regional balance.

• November 8, 2005 - Mr. Hervé de Charette, Former French Foreign Minister:

  If Tunisia is a country being envied abroad for what it has realized in terms of advancement and stability, it is because it has been able to attain economic stability, to enhance women′s situation, to encourage foreign investments, and to secure a continuous economic development. The countries that have accumulated as many successes as possible are those that have been capable of achieving development and growth. Tunisia is one of those countries, and its march was set off on the best bases possible.

• November 18, 2005 - Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union:

  Tunisia′s 2005 Summit [on the Information Society] was successful. Tunisia must play an incessant role for further mobilization concerning the commitments issued from the Summit and which aim at reducing the Digital Gap and particularly setting the bases for Knowledge Society, especially that Tunisia, which is taken to be as a "Success Story" in Africa due to the limitation of its natural resources, succeeded in making of communication techniques a factor of sustainable development, which entitles it to be a model for other countries.

• December 10, 2005 - Professor Roberto Sani, President of The University of Macerata, Italy:

  President Ben Ali is one of the great leaders who play a pioneering role in promoting dialogue among religions and in strengthening communication and cooperation between Arab and Islamic countries, and the West. The University of Macerata, one of the ancient and most prestigious universities in Europe, dating back to the 13th century, has the great honor to award The Honoris Causa Doctorate in Human and Educational Sciences to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and reaffirms its support to his sound policy aimed at achieving balanced growth in the country and establishing a world order based on the values of peace, dialogue, solidarity, and full respect of human rights.

• January 12, 2006 - Mr. Yohei Kono, Speaker of the Japanese Parliament:

  I express my admiration for the high level that Tunisia has achieved in different fields and areas, which has made of it a brilliant country making its way to joining the rank of developed countries. The climate of security and stability prevailing in Tunisia at a time in which several countries of the world are going through political, economic, and social tremors, which makes of it an exemplary space for investment.

• January 21, 2006 - His Excellency, Francesco Cossiga, Former President of the Republic of Italy:

  My successive visits to Tunisia allowed me to become aware of the achievements it has gained in terms of progress and modernity.

• January 30, 2006 - Mr. Timothy Adams, US Assistant Secretary of State of Treasury:

  The positive results that Tunisia has realized have drawn the attention of several similar countries and funding parties owing to the seriousness and efficiency of the projects that have been realized, which entitles Tunisia to further support and encouragement so that it continues its march with success.

• February 9, 2006 - His Majesty, King Albert II of Belgium:

  I hail President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali′s sound policy, wisdom, and the spirit of tolerance that he is pursuing in order to encourage dialogue and understanding among peoples. Tunisia is a leading country.

• February 24, 2006 - Mr. Michael Frendo, Maltese Foreign Minister:

  The successes that Tunisia has realized are not the work of coincidence but the outcome of the efforts of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali′s who has proved a high degree of allegiance at the service of his country.

• March 3, 2006 - Mr. Edward Johnson, President of the US Holding Fidelity Investment Group:

  Owing to the economic development and social progress that Tunisia has today achieved, it is considered as one of the best investment destinations in the region due to the availability of all the fundamentals of success in investment and business, namely the openness of its society and the competence of its human resources. Tunisia is capable of becoming a regional dynamic and vital center in the field of services and businesses.

• March 15, 2006 - Mr. David Welsh, Former US Assistant Secretary of State in charge of Middle-Eastern Affairs:

  The economic and social development that Tunisia has achieved, together with its stability, allow it to be an attractive destination for American investments.

• April 14, 2006 - Mr. James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Program:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali confirmed on behalf of Tunisia his generous assistance to help the peoples suffering from famine. I salute Tunisia for the human and solidarity spirit which characterizes its people and its commitment to make a strong partner at the service of humane issues.

• May 29, 2006 - Mr. Jean Leclant, Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Inscriptions et Belles Lettres:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is the advocator of dialogue, compromise, and consultation, which are the basic principles on which human culture which rejects seclusion, hatred, and resort to violence.

• His Excellency, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of The Republic of Algeria:

  Today, the country that performs best in the Maghreb is Tunisia. It is the country with highest per capita income. Tunisia is characterized by stability and security. All the country′s rural areas have access to drinking water and electric power. Living conditions in Tunisia are by far higher than those of its neighbors.

• May 29, 2006 - Mr. Jean Lorenzo del Boca, Head of Italian National Association of Journalists:

  President Ben Ali’s commitment for knowledge proves once again the appropriateness and pertinence view to a tolerant and open world, a view that we share. Tunisia appears within the common Mediterranean region as a modern and balanced society, committed to the prevalence of peace and dialogue among the civilizations of both the Northern and Southern banks.

• May 31, 2006 - Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of The Palestinian Authority:

  Tunisia, which harbored the Palestinian Leadership for years long, was and still is, the best support to the just Palestinian cause and to the struggle of the Palestinian people in order to get its legitimate rights back … The Palestinian Authority is keen on continuous discussion and coordination with President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali concerning all the developments related to the situation of the Palestinian People and the peace process.

• June 2, 2006 - Mrs. Michèle Alliot-Marie, Former French Defence Minister:

  Tunisia is playing an important role in the materialization and development of the relations among the 5+5 countries and also in bringing together the five Southern European countries and the five countries of the Maghreb.

• June 9, 2006 - Mrs. Juan Somavia, Director General of the World Labor Union:

  Tunisia's experience in the social field, particularly with regard to professional relations, social security, and dialogue, is an example to follow and a center of interest on the part of the member countries of the Union.

• June 28, 2006 - Mr. Mohamed Al-Gargaoui, Senior Minister in charge of the Council of Ministers′ Affairs in The United Arab Emirates and President of the Dubai Holding Group:

  The climate of investment in Tunisia is promising through the incentives available in this field and in relation to educational, tourist, and technological sectors. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's policy, prospective vision, and determination to achieve a good social balance and a high education rate are among the chief matters which made us invest in Tunisia.

• July 4, 2006 - Mr. Edward Fenech Adami, President of the Republic of Malta:

  My visit to Tunisia is an opportunity to observe the extraordinary efforts and the concrete results which President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali realized for Tunisia through the continuous investment in education and training due to his belief that human resources are among the best and most invaluable resources for the attainment of human development.

• July 13, 2006 - Professor Jaime Gil Aluja, President of the Spanish Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences:

  Awarding the Academy's First Medal of Honor to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a token of recognition for his efforts to promote knowledge. The high level and remarkable successes achieved under his leadership in the field of sciences have offered Tunisia a distinguished place in the Mediterranean region.

• August 12, 2006 - Mrs. Wadouda Badrane, Director General of the Arab Labor Union:

  The Personal Status Code has remained as an exemplary document and a target in terms of its philosophy and regulations in consolidation of women's rights at the Arab level, thanks to President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's determination to develop and to adjust different laws related to nationality, work, and fiscal law throughout the 1990's, which has made of it a model and an aspiration for all those working in the women's field and who want to generalize it throughout the Arab World for the benefit of Arab women everywhere.

• October 30, 2006 - Mr. Romano Prodi, Former Italian Prime Minister:

  Tunisia's election, with large majority as a member of the UN Human Rights Commission is a new mission entrusted to Tunisia, bearing witness to the international confidence placed in Tunisia to defend human rights at the domestic and foreign levels …

• November 3, 2006 - Mr. Horsten Geissler, Senator of the Environment of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, Germany:

  Tunisia is a great friend to Germany. It is playing a major role and represents a distinguished interlocutor between the Arab and European Worlds. Tunisia is country that owns dialogue traditions and always takes the initiative to incite other countries to follow the path of dialogue and to work on finding solutions through peaceful means. We remain always in need for a country like Tunisia in order to make a bridge between both civilizations. It is a great pleasure for Germany to have a partner like Tunisia in the Arab World.

• November 3, 2006 - Mr. Mustapha Niasse, Former Senegalese Prime Minister:

  Tunisia counts among those countries that we listen to … The matter is not related to its geographical size or demographic weight, but to its capability of compromising between positions and views, and anticipating changes so as to take part in the European edifice without it being a member of the European Union, while being also committed to Africa, the Arab and Islamic World, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

• November 7, 2006 - Mr. Naim Al-Toubaissi, Dean of Palestinian Journalists:

  The pride that Palestinians feel towards President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the great Tunisian people, cannot be explained solely by the presidential direct and boundless support to Palestine and its cause, but it also proceeds from the admiration for the work accomplished by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali which aims at ensuring revival, prosperity, and stability for Tunisia, thus giving of Tunisia an inspirational image of a modern Arab state; the country of development, democracy, and pluralism, the country of independent national decision power, the country of commitment to all the Arab just causes.

• November 9, 2006 - Mr. Luis Amado, Senior Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal:

  The developmental model of Tunisia represents a reference in the field of development. Tunisia has succeeded over the past few years to raise its economic progress rate, improve the living conditions of its people, and to secure its interior stability.

• November 23, 2006 - Mr. Kim Woo Sik, Former Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Science and Technology, Republic of South Korea:

  The realizations that have been achieved in Tunisia in all fields, and particularly in the Communication Technologies sector and the promotion of human resources, makes of Tunisia a distinguished partner in the region.

• December 22, 2006 - Mr. Rodrigo de Rato, Former Director General of the International Monetary Fund:

  The realizations that Tunisia has achieved are the outgrowth of rational management at the comprehensive economic level and the reforms focused on the gradual integration of Tunisia in the world economy. These reforms have contributed to place Tunisia among the first countries of the region.

• February 16, 2007 - His Excellency, Thabo Mbeki, Former President of The Republic of South Africa:

  Thanks to its successful human development model, Tunisia has won the admiration and consideration of the international community, and its experience has drawn the attention of many countries.

• June 2, 2007 - Dr. Majdi Morjane, President of the Afro-Asian Writers Organization:

  The Tunisian and Arab cultures owe a lot to President Ben Ali, granted that no country at the Arab or even the International level consecrates a National Holiday for Culture chaired personally by the President of the Republic to celebrate intellectual and creative people.

• August 6, 2007 - His Highness, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates Republic, Prime Minister, and Governor of Dubai:

  The stability and progress which characterize Tunisia in various fields have made of it a favored destination for Emirati investments.

• October 3, 2007 - Mr. Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft International Corporation:

  Microsoft will be pleased to support President Ben Ali's efforts in the framework of His Excellency's vision regarding the important role of Communication Technologies in setting the bases for Knowledge Economy in Tunisia. Awarding President Ben Ali The Microsoft Award for Global Leadership in Communication Technologies is recognition for his leading role in the field of promoting Communication Technologies on the International scene.

• March 31, 2008 - Mr. Li Changchun, Member of the Chinese Communist Party Standing Committee:

  We have noticed with great pleasure the advanced vision which President Ben Ali adopts, and also his strategic thoughts, his insightful policy, and measures in leading the Tunisian people towards realizing extraordinary achievements at all levels, which entitles Tunisia to become a model for African countries.

• May 1, 2008 - Mr. Paul Weber, Secretary General of the International Association of Labor Inspection:

  We appreciate President Ben Ali's personal determination to promote social dialogue and professional relations, to develop and modernize legislation in the area of work, which permitted the consolidation of the values of social peace and the promotion of economic development. These factors have made of Tunisia a model to be followed by emerging countries.

• July 10, 2008 - Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish Foreign Minister:

  Tunisia today is playing an essential role in the building of a peace and prosperity space in the Mediterranean environment. We wanted to reiterate our satisfaction with the role and diplomacy of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the extremely important and constructive role of Tunisia at the service of the new thrust we intend to give to the Mediterranean dimension, which fits in well with our foreign policy.

• July 13, 2008 - His Excellency, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of The French Republic:

  I hail President Ben Ali's positions in support of the European Project and Tunisia's constant commitment to the issues of peace, cooperation, and development in the Mediterranean region.

• July 16, 2008 - Mr. Mosinoa Gerard Patrick Lekota, South African Defence Minister:

  South Africa expresses its consideration and recognition to Tunisia for the important role that Tunisian doctors play while doing their mission in South Africa.

• August 4, 2008 - Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Leader of the First of September Revolution, Libya:

  President Ben Ali's acceptance of the Tunisian people's plea for him to submit his candidacy to the coming Presidential Elections is a historical event which has come to secure the continuity of the process of Change and modernization that Tunisia has been experiencing since November 7, 1987.

• November 18, 2008 - Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Director General of The International Monetary Fund:

  The Tunisian economy is in good health in spite of the world crisis. I am expecting a strong economic this year in Tunisia. The economic development policy adopted here is sound and represents the best model for other emerging countries such as Tunisia. The IMF's opinion on Tunisia's economic policy is very positive and we have no fears as for the following year, although the situation at the world scale is difficult.

• June 2, 2009 - Dr. Abdulaziz Othman al-Tuwarjri, Director General of the ISESCO:

  Tunisia has achieved, during President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's era, and in a short period, a great development in various fields, namely political, economic, and social, and particularly in the areas of education, sciences, culture, and communication.

• June 2, 2009 - Mr. Abdou Diouf, Secretary General of the International Organization of the Francophonie:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is the Statesman under the leadership of whom Tunisia has become a modern country, a nation open to the world, and heading for the future.

• August 18, 2009 - Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister:

  President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a sincere man, imbued with democracy, and takes his responsibility towards the needy as a duty.