The state of emergency, introduced last year after another terrorist attack, continues in Tunisia. The country does not exclude the possibility of a repetition of terrorist attacks, especially against the backdrop of recent clashes with Islamists on the border with Libya. The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the Russian Federation, Ali Gutali, stated that his country is facing serious challenges in the security sphere: "The terrorists have inflicted a series of painful blows to Tunisia, as happens throughout the world. Terrorism became a worldwide phenomenon. There is no country that could say that it is 100% free from the possibility of becoming a target of terrorist attacks. In our region, of course, there are several sources of tension, and one of these sources of tension is close to us – it is Libya."
According to the Tunisian diplomat, Libya has no state institutions, no centralized authority, and there are various armed groups, the country is inundated with weapons and creates significant dangers for Tunisia. "In Libya, no one can control those flows of weapons that come to this country, and which are transfered through various illegal routes to Tunisia. Camps operate in Libya, in which terrorists are being prepared, taught how to use weapons. Despite all the limitations of our capabilities, we seek to resist it, to provide security for our people and tourists, coming to us."
Ali Gutali reminded that millions of tourists arrive in Tunisia annually and the authorities have taken all the necessary measures to ensure their safety: "We pay special attention to places of recreation, health resorts, as well as airports, roads and routes through which tourists travel."
The Ambassador admitted that, along with the challenge in the field of security, there are problems in the socio-political and economic spheres: "We still have unemployment, including unemployment among people with higher educations. We have quite a lot of young people with diplomas, but they can't use their knowledge. We understand that the work of the terrorist recruiters is aimed precisely at young people. We hope that we, thanks to our efforts, will overcome all these difficulties. We are largely dependent on the assistance that we receive. In this regard, we would like to emphasize the very important role of Russia and relations with Russia so that Tunisia would successfully overcome the difficulties standing in its way."
