Proceedings of
International Conference on Advances in Economics, Social Science and Human Behaviour Study ESHB 2014
"TUNISIA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THE ARAB SPRING RELATIONS WITH MAJOR POWERS"
Abstract: “With China conducting a very active diplomacy around the world mainly in third world countries and the West crying foul over what they term 'China Threat' in Africa and the Arab world, Tunisia is reconsidering it’s positioning between East and West. Since its independence in 1956, Tunisia made the choice to be pro-western while keeping a certain degree of independence with a doctrine of critical support set up by “the father of the Nation” President Habib Bourguiba. In order to get inde-pendence from the French colonial power, Bourguiba played the US support card while being very active in the non-aligned movement. A small country, Tunisia decided from the beginning to never antagonize anybody and have a strong and balanced foreign policy, offering even to be a fair mediator in certain con-flicts. That was the official policy of the country until after the Revolution of January 2011. Because Tunisia is first and fore-most a North African and Mediterranean country, 80% of its trade was”
Keywords: Tunisia, Foreign Policy, Arab Spring, International relations