# Foreign relations of Tunisia

Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has maintained Tunisia's long-time policy of seeking good relations with the West, while playing an active role in Arab and African regional bodies. President Habib Bourguiba took a nonaligned stance but emphasized close relations with Europe, Pakistan, and the United States.

## Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Tunisia maintains diplomatic relations with:
Date :
| 1 | France | 20 March 1956 |
| 2 | Syria | 2 June 1956 |
| 3 | United States | 6 June 1956 |
| 4 | Russia | 11 June 1956 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 19 June 1956 |
| 6 | Italy | 20 June 1956 |
| 7 | Libya | 22 June 1956 |
| 8 | Japan | 26 June 1956 |
| 9 | Saudi Arabia | June 1956 |
| 10 | Morocco | 18 July 1956 |
| 11 | Bulgaria | 30 August 1956 |
| 12 | Hungary | 31 August 1956 |
| 13 | Switzerland | 30 October 1956 |
| 14 | Germany | 7 December 1956 |
| 15 | Egypt | 1956 |
| 16 | Greece | 1956 |
| 17 | Jordan | 1956 |
| 18 | Sweden | 1956 |
| 19 | Serbia | 17 February 1957 |
| 20 | Portugal | 21 May 1957 |
| 21 | Spain | 8 July 1957 |
| 22 | Turkey | 22 July 1957 |
| 23 | Pakistan | 19 August 1957 |
| 24 | Canada | 9 September 1957 |
| 25 | Lebanon | October 1957 |
| 26 | Liberia | 1957 |
| 27 | Malaysia | 1957 |
| 28 | Belgium | 12 February 1958 |
| 29 | Netherlands | February 1958 |
| 30 | India | 2 April 1958 |
| 31 | Ghana | 11 June 1958 |
| 32 | Norway | 29 August 1958 |
| 33 | Finland | 17 July 1959 |
| 34 | Czech Republic | 29 July 1959 |
| 35 | Cuba | 23 September 1959 |
| 36 | Brazil | 7 October 1959 |
| 37 | Poland | 15 November 1959 |
| 38 | Sudan | 29 November 1959 |
| 39 | Iran | 10 December 1959 |
| 40 | Austria | 1959 |
| 41 | Iraq | 1959 |
| 42 | Denmark | 10 May 1960 |
| 43 | Indonesia | 12 November 1960 |
| 44 | Gabon | 1960 |
| 45 | Cameroon | 18 February 1961 |
| 46 | Ivory Coast | 22 March 1961 |
| 47 | Mauritania | 29 April 1961 |
| 48 | Chile | 6 October 1961 |
| 49 | Argentina | 11 October 1961 |
| 50 | Mexico | 16 November 1961 |
| 51 | Republic of the Congo | 1961 |
| 52 | Kuwait | 24 June 1962 |
| 53 | Guinea | 30 June 1962 |
| 54 | Ethiopia | 31 July 1962 |
| 55 | Algeria | 13 November 1962 |
| 56 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1962 |
| 57 | Senegal | 1962 |
| 58 | Romania | 16 December 1963 |
| 59 | Mali | 1963 |
| 60 | China | 10 January 1964 |
| 61 | Luxembourg | 28 April 1964 |
| 62 | Burkina Faso | 1964 |
| 63 | Venezuela | 26 March 1965 |
| 64 | Uruguay | 16 September 1965 |
| 65 | Togo | 1965 |
| 66 | Benin | 22 December 1966 |
| 67 | Thailand | 2 February 1967 |
| 68 | Peru | 30 May 1967 |
| 69 | Malta | 21 December 1967 |
| 70 | Chad | 25 January 1968 |
| 71 | Niger | 24 April 1968 |
| 72 | Kenya | 26 November 1968 |
| 73 | Tanzania | 2 December 1968 |
| 74 | Uganda | 9 December 1968 |
| 75 | Madagascar | 12 March 1969 |
| 76 | South Korea | 31 March 1969 |
| 77 | Somalia | July 1969 |
| 78 | Nigeria | 15 January 1970 |
| 79 | Iceland | 14 May 1970 |
| 80 | Oman | December 1971 |
| 81 | Central African Republic | 1971 |
| 82 | Rwanda | 1971 |
| — | Holy See | 22 March 1972 |
| 83 | United Arab Emirates | 14 June 1972 |
| 84 | Qatar | 20 June 1972 |
| 85 | Bahrain | 25 June 1972 |
| 86 | Vietnam | 15 December 1972 |
| 87 | Gambia | 28 December 1972 |
| 88 | Equatorial Guinea | 1972 |
| 89 | Zambia | 1972 |
| 90 | Bangladesh | 17 July 1973 |
| 91 | Albania | 8 October 1973 |
| 92 | Costa Rica | 15 October 1973 |
| 93 | Ireland | 16 January 1975 |
| 94 | North Korea | 3 August 1975 |
| 95 | Philippines | 15 December 1975 |
| 96 | Mozambique | 1975 |
| 97 | Mauritius | 9 February 1976 |
| 98 | Comoros | 1976 |
| 99 | Mongolia | 15 February 1977 |
| 100 | Australia | 17 February 1977 |
| 101 | Djibouti | 1977 |
| 102 | Ecuador | 29 January 1980 |
| 103 | Burundi | 1 March 1980 |
| 104 | Guinea-Bissau | 1980 |
| 105 | Zimbabwe | 1980 |
| 106 | Colombia | 20 January 1981 |
| 107 | Sri Lanka | 7 December 1981 |
| 108 | Cape Verde | 1981 |
| 109 | Maldives | 10 September 1983 |
| 110 | Angola | 1983 |
| 111 | Nepal | 14 April 1984 |
| 112 | Singapore | 30 November 1984 |
| 113 | Seychelles | 25 August 1986 |
| 114 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 1986 |
| 115 | Vanuatu | 1 November 1988 |
| 116 | Laos | 30 November 1989 |
| 117 | Namibia | 23 March 1990 |
| 118 | Brunei | 1 May 1990 |
| 119 | Ukraine | 24 June 1992 |
| 120 | Latvia | 26 June 1992 |
| 121 | Estonia | 29 June 1992 |
| 122 | Lithuania | 30 June 1992 |
| 123 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 30 October 1992 |
| 124 | Botswana | 11 November 1992 |
| 125 | Kazakhstan | 23 November 1992 |
| 126 | Kyrgyzstan | 25 November 1992 |
| 127 | Uzbekistan | 26 November 1992 |
| 128 | Turkmenistan | 30 November 1992 |
| 129 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
| 130 | Croatia | 18 January 1993 |
| 131 | Slovenia | 20 May 1993 |
| 132 | Eritrea | 25 October 1993 |
| 133 | South Africa | May 1994 |
| 134 | Cambodia | 12 April 1995 |
| — | State of Palestine | 19 April 1995 |
| 135 | Georgia | 7 March 1996 |
| 136 | Belarus | 29 January 1997 |
| 137 | Azerbaijan | 1 July 1998 |
| 138 | Lesotho | 1 December 2000 |
| 139 | Armenia | 15 July 2002 |
| 140 | Moldova | 27 September 2004 |
| 141 | San Marino | 17 December 2005 |
| 142 | Tajikistan | 19 June 2006 |
| 143 | Andorra | 20 November 2006 |
| 144 | Montenegro | 7 March 2007 |
| 145 | El Salvador | 14 March 2007 |
| 146 | Guatemala | 19 March 2007 |
| 147 | Panama | 15 June 2007 |
| 148 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2 July 2007 |
| 149 | New Zealand | 11 July 2012 |
| 150 | Bolivia | 24 July 2012 |
| 151 | South Sudan | 26 June 2015 |
| 152 | Malawi | 3 May 2017 |
| 153 | Liechtenstein | 20 October 2017 |
| 154 | Monaco | 19 September 2018 |
| 155 | Dominican Republic | 27 September 2018 |
| 156 | Paraguay | 1 November 2018 |
| 157 | Nicaragua | 2 July 2019 |
| 158 | North Macedonia | 27 September 2019 |
| 159 | Jamaica | 26 September 2024 |
| 160 | Afghanistan | Unknown |
| 161 | Cyprus | Unknown |
| 162 | Eswatini | Unknown |
| 163 | Sierra Leone | Unknown |
| 164 | Trinidad and Tobago | Unknown |
| 165 | Yemen | Unknown |

## Bilateral relations
### Africa

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Algeria | | See Algeria–Tunisia relations Tunisia and Algeria resolved a longstanding border dispute in 1993 and have cooperated in the construction of the Trans-Mediterranean natural gas pipeline through Tunisia that connects Algeria to Italy. In 2003 Tunisia and Algeria formed Numhyd, a petroleum company to develop oil resources. It is jointly owned (each 50%) by government corporations, Algeria's Sonatrach and Tunisia's Entreprise Tunisienne d'Activités Pétrolières (ETAP). Recently Tunisia signed an agreement with Algeria in order to demarcate more exactly the maritime frontier between the two countries. Algeria has an embassy in Tunis and consulates-general in El Kef and Gafsa. Tunisia has an embassy in Algiers, a consulate-general in Annaba and a consulate in Tébessa. |
| Comoros | | Both countries have established diplomatic relations. |
| Egypt | 1956 | See Egypt–Tunisia relations In the 1950s the President of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba, criticized on pragmatic grounds the type of Arab nationalism then promoted by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, which was a widely popular ideology at the time in the Arabic-speaking countries. Their disagreement also concerned the policies of the Arab League. Bourguiba and Nassar eventually came to find some common ground. Although ties were broken under Nasser, and again under Anwar Sadat, on the whole relations between Egypt and Tunisia have remained mutually beneficial. After the Tunisian revolution in 2011, the Tunisian-Egyptian relations were very good, especially after the 2011 elections in Tunisia, where won the Ennahda Movement Islamic-oriented the elections, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt won the elections, and also the convergence between the two presidents Moncef Marzouki and Mohamed Morsi. But since the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état, relations became increasingly strained, and between the two and considered Tunisia that what is happening in Egypt is a military coup d'État bloody and protested against it in the United Nations, which led to a diplomatic crisis in relations severed in an indirect way and there is a lack of official visits at all levels. After the 2014 elections in Tunisia and the win of Nidaa Tounes's secular movement, improved relations and exchanged visits between officials and ministers. Egypt has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Cairo. |
| Libya | 22 June 1956 | See Libya–Tunisia relations Tunisia's relations with Libya have been erratic since Tunisia annulled a brief agreement to form a union in 1974. Diplomatic relations were broken in 1976, restored in 1977, and deteriorated again in 1980, when Libyan-trained rebels attempted to seize the town of Gafsa. In 1982, the International Court of Justice ruled in Libya's favor in the partition of the oil-rich continental shelf it shares with Tunisia. Libya's 1985 expulsion of Tunisian workers and military threats led Tunisia to sever relations. Relations were normalized again in 1987. While supporting the United Nations sanctions imposed following airline bombings, Tunisia has been careful to maintain positive relations with its neighbor. Tunisia supported the lifting of UN sanctions against Libya in 2003, and Libya is again becoming a major trading partner. Currently, Tunisia has a maritime dispute with Libya. Libya has an embassy in Tunis and a consulate-general in Sfax. Tunisia has an embassy in Tripoli and a consulate-general in Benghazi. |
| Morocco | 1956 | Trade is increasing between Tunisia and Morocco. Direct maritime shipping commenced between the two countries in 2008 to supplement rail connections that remained uncertain. Also, the stock exchanges of Tunis and Casablanca this year began to jointly list the stock of a Maghriban company, this initial case involving an IPO. Morocco has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Rabat. |

### Americas

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Argentina | 11 October 1961 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 October 1961. Argentina has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Buenos Aires. |
| Belize | | Both countries have passed a number of bilateral agreements. |
| Brazil | 1956 | Brazil has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Brasília. |
| Canada | 9 September 1957 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 September 1957. Canada has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Ottawa and a consulate in Montreal. |
| Mexico | 16 November 1961 | See Mexico–Tunisia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 November 1961. Mexico is accredited to Tunisia from its embassy in Algiers, Algeria and maintains an honorary consulate in Tunis. Tunisia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States. |
| United States | 6 June 1956 | See Tunisia–United States relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 June 1956 The Embassy of Tunisia in Washington, D.C. The United States has very good relations with Tunisia, which date back more than 200 years. The United States has maintained official representation in Tunis almost continuously since 1795, and the American Friendship Treaty with Tunisia was signed in 1799. The two governments are not linked by security treaties, but relations have been close since Tunisia's independence. The United States and Tunisia have an active schedule of joint military exercises. U.S. security assistance historically has played an important role in cementing relations. The U.S.-Tunisian Joint Military Commission meets annually to discuss military cooperation, Tunisia's defense modernization program, and other security matters. Since 2015, Tunisia and the United States are partners under the Major non-NATO partnership agreement. Tunisia has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Tunis. |

### Asia

Tunisia has long been a voice for moderation and realism in the Middle East. Tunisia served as the headquarters of the Arab League from 1979 to 1990 and hosted the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) headquarters from 1982 to 1993, when the PLO Executive Committee relocated to Jericho and the Palestinian Authority was established after the signing of the Oslo Accords. The PLO Political Department remains in Tunis.
Tunisia consistently has played a moderating role in the negotiations for a comprehensive Middle East peace. In 1993, Tunisia was the first Arab country to host an official Israeli delegation as part of the Middle East peace process and maintained an Interests Section until the outbreak in 2000 of the Intifada. Israeli citizens of Tunisian descent may travel to Tunisia on their Israeli passports.
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Armenia | | See Armenia–Tunisia relations Armenia is accredited to Tunisia from its embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Tunisia is accredited to Armenia from its embassy in Moscow, Russia. |
| Azerbaijan | 1 July 1998 | See Azerbaijan-Tunisia relations Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Tunisia were established on July 1, 1998. Relations between Azerbaijan and Tunisia have been developed within the framework of international organizations, including the UN and OIC. Azerbaijan is accredited to the Republic of Tunisia through its ambassador in the Kingdom of Morocco. |
| China | 10 January 1964 | See China–Tunisia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 January 1964 China has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Beijing. |
| India | | See India–Tunisia relations India has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in New Delhi. |
| Iran | | See Iran–Tunisia relations In May, 2005, Tunisia signed with Iran an agreement for cooperation in air, sea, and road transportation. It was signed on the visit of Tunisian minister Abderrahim Zouari to Iran. Iran has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Tehran. |
| Iraq | | Iraq has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Baghdad. |
| Israel | | See Israel–Tunisia relations Israel had an interest office in Tunis between 1996 and 2000. Tunisia had an interest office in Tel Aviv between 1996 and 2000. |
| Japan | | Tunisia and Japan have a visa agreement, Tunisian people traveling to Japan and Japanese people traveling to Tunisia do not need a visa, as long as their stay do not exceed 3 months. Japan also supports Tunisia, with equipment and money donations. Both countries had friendly relations since Tunisia's independence in 1956. Since 2015, Tunisia and Japan are allies under the Major non-NATO ally agreement. Japan has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Tokyo. |
| Lebanon | | Tunisia and Lebanon share historical and civilizational ties. In June, 2010, the Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi and his Lebanese counterpart Mr. Saad Hariri chaired a Tunisian-Lebanese working session. Both countries want to energize the process for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. In addition, Tunisia reaffirmed its support of Lebanon. Lebanon has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Beirut. |
| Pakistan | 19 August 1957 | See Pakistan–Tunisia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 August 1957 Pakistan has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Islamabad. |
| Qatar | | See Qatar–Tunisia relations Qatar is among the largest Arab investors in Tunisia. Relations between Qatar and Tunisia improved immensely between 2011 and 2013, when Ennahda Movement-affiliated candidate Hamadi Jebali was declared Prime Minister of Tunisia in the 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly elections. Cooperation in all fields gradually started picking up traction; for instance, the two governments signed ten bilateral agreements in 2012. Qatar has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Doha. |
| Saudi Arabia | | See Saudi Arabia–Tunisia relations In July 2010, a Tunisian-Saudi non-double taxation agreement was signed in Tunis, by Finance Minister Ridha Chalghoum and his Saudi counterpart Ibrahim Bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf. The two ministers said this convention will certainly help boost trade exchanges between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, stimulate investments, and favour exchange of expertise between the two countries. In particular, it will further the Tunisian-Saudi Investment and Development Bank "STUSID Bank" in developing financial co-operation and the contribution of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to boost the development process in Tunisia. The minister highlighted the importance of drawing on the two countries' expertise in the tax and customs field and set up a joint action plan to strengthen co-operation. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate-general in Jeddah. |
| Syria | 2 June 1956 | The 11th session of the Tunisian-Syrian High Joint Committee met in Tunis in May 2010. The two countries share experience and information on such issues as housing, shipping, and tourism. Syria has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Damascus. Tunisia ceased to recognise the government of Syria on 4 February 2012. During his tenure, Hamadi Jebali, the Prime Minister, called on fellow Arab states to follow its lead: "We have to expel the Syrian ambassadors from Arab countries." In 2019, France24 speculated that new president Kais Saied could renew his country's diplomatic relations with Syria. Following the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake, President Saied decided to strengthen diplomatic ties with Syria. |
| Turkey | 1956 | See Tunisia–Turkey relations Tunisia has an embassy in Ankara and a Consulate General in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Tunis. Trade volume between the two countries was US$1.09 billion in 2018 (Tunisian exports/imports: 182/904 million USD). Yunus Emre Institute has a local headquarters in Tunis. |

### Europe

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Austria | | Austria has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Vienna. |
| Belgium | | Belgium has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Brussels. |
| Bulgaria | 1956 | Bulgaria has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia is accredited to Bulgaria from its embassy in Belgrade, Serbia. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Bulgaria (in French only) |
| Croatia | 1993-01-30 | Croatia is accredited to Tunisia from its embassy in Rabat, Morocco and maintains an honorary consulate in Tunis. Tunisia is accredited to Croatia from its embassy in Vienna, Austria and maintains an honorary consulate in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. |
| Cyprus | 1999 | Cyprus is accredited to Tunisia from its embassy in Paris, France Tunisia is accredited to Cyprus through its embassy in Rome, Italy and maintains an honorary consulate in Larnaca. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tunisian Foreign Affairs Ministry about relations with Cyprus (in French only) |
| Denmark | | Denmark is accredited to Tunisia from its embassy in Algiers, Algeria and maintains an honorary consulate in Tunis. Tunisia is accredited to Denmark from its embassy in The Hague, Netherlands and maintains an honorary consulate in Copenhagen. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Denmark (in French only) |
| Finland | 17 July 1959 | Diplomatic relations between them were established on 17 July 1959. Finland has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Helsinki. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland about relations with Tunisia Archived 2011-08-20 at the Wayback Machine |
| France | | See France–Tunisia relations Tunisia and France retain a special relationship due to their history, geographic location, and economic relationship. In France there is a sizeable Tunisian diaspora, and the French language is widely used in Tunisia. Business and government connections are extensive and mutually maintained. Ranked by country, France receives the largest amount of Tunisian exports, and France is number-one regarding Tunisian imports also. In recent years many French companies have re-localized production to Tunisia. France has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Paris, consulates-general in Lyon and Marseille, and consulates in Grenoble, Nice, Pantin, Strasbourg and Toulouse. |
| Germany | | Germany has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Berlin. |
| Greece | | See Greece–Tunisia relations Greece has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Athens. |
| Italy | 20 June 1956 | See Italy–Tunisia relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 20 June 1956. Italy has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Rome, a consulate-general in Palermo and consulates in Genoa, Milan and Naples. |
| Malta | 21 December 1967 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 December 1967. Malta has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Valletta. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Maltese and Tunisian Arabic are very similar languages. The two countries share very rich historical links. |
| Netherlands | | the Netherlands has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in The Hague. |
| Poland | | See Poland–Tunisia relations Poland has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Warsaw. |
| Portugal | | Portugal has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Lisbon. |
| Romania | 1963 | Romania has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Bucharest and an honorary consulate in Timișoara. Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Romania (in French only) |
| Russia | 1956 | See Russia–Tunisia relations Russia has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Moscow. |
| Spain | | See Spain–Tunisia relations Spain has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Madrid. |
| Sweden | | See Sweden–Tunisia relations Sweden has an embassy in Tunis. Tunisia has an embassy in Stockholm. |
| Ukraine | | Tunisia is accredited to Ukraine from its embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Ukraine has an embassy in Tunis. |
| United Kingdom | 19 June 1956 | See Foreign relations of the United Kingdom Tunisia established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 19 June 1956. Tunisia maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Tunisia through its embassy in Tunis. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have an Association Agreement, and an Investment Agreement. |

### Oceania

| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
| Australia | 17 February 1977 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 February 1977 Australia is accredited to Tunisia from its high commission in Valletta, Malta. Tunisia is accredited to Australia from its embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. |
| New Zealand | 11 July 2012 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 July 2012 |

## Foreign Ambassadors

* Farid Abboud, Lebanese Ambassador to Tunisia (2007–2013)
* Jacob Walles, American Ambassador to Tunisia (2012–2016) Preceded by Daniel Rubinstein