§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Tunisian Ambassador; and if he will make a statement on UK-Tunisian relations. [95097]
§ Mr. HainThe Secretary of State has not yet met the Tunisian Ambassador, Mr. Jhinaoui. I last met him on 6 September.
Bilateral ties go back a long way and remain mutually productive. Tunisia is an important trading partner and Britain is one of the largest international investors there. Tunisia is also a constructive and moderate influence on many of the Middle East's regional problems. Human rights form an important part of our bilateral agenda. We have welcomed the recent release from gaol in Tunisia of two people championed by international human rights NGOs. We hope to build on this at both bilateral and EU level for a resolution to other outstanding cases.