Tunisia is facing a watershed. Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today (21 January) telephoned Tunisia’s Foreign Minister, Kamel Morjane, to discuss current developments in the country.

Federal Minister Westerwelle welcomed the fresh start in politics in Tunisia. The best way towards stability in Tunisia, he said, was the way of democracy. So it was important now to make the process of transition open and transparent and to involve all political and civil society groups if at all possible. In this context, Westerwelle said, human rights and rule of law principles, in particular freedom of opinion and assembly and freedom of the press, had to be respected and protected.

Federal Minister Westerwelle emphasized the willingness of the German Government and European Union to provide active support for the process of transition towards democracy in Tunisia.

Foreign Minister Morjane thanked Federal Minister Westerwelle for Germany’s offer of help and assured him that the interim government would do everything possible to make the country’s democratic new start irreversible.