Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with Tunisia; and if he will make a statement. [137840]

Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The United Kingdom has strong relations with Tunisia. Since the Revolution, Tunisia has continued to make considerable progress on reform, with political pluralism and freedom of expression firmly embedded. But challenges remain, particularly meeting the demands of a highly expectant population and internal security challenges. The Constituent Assembly has progressed with drafting a new constitution, which we hope will serve to protect the rights of all Tunisians for generations to come.

Through our Arab Partnership programme we have supported local and international NGOs to promote political participation, including women and youth, in partnership with the African Development Bank, we are helping young entrepreneurs turn business ideas into reality. We are also supporting development of free and independent media, including helping to transform the National Television into a public service broadcaster. During my visit to Tunis in December I visited the National Television where I was able to see first-hand the benefits being delivered through our valuable support.

The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews its relationship with all Maghreb states, building links through joint training and capacity building as appropriate.

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