Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	IN TUNIS, TUNISIA 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	24/11/92 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC 
			OF TUNISIA HIS EXCELLENCY 
			DR. HAMED KAROUI 




 Your Excellency Dr. Hamed Karoui,
Prime Minister of Tunisia;
Excellencies;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
    May  I  take  this  opportunity  to  express my sincere
thanks for the very warm welcome extended to me and  members
of  my  delegation  since our arrival in Tunis this morning.
My wife and I are indeed delighted to be here in  this  pic-
turesque    city  of Tunis.   I have been looking forward to
this visit to renew my  acquaintance  with  you,  Mr.  Prime
Minister,  to  get to know your beautiful country and people
and explore ways in which our two countries could be brought
closer together.
2.   I recall my first meeting with you, Mr. Prime Minister,
during the recent Non-Aligned Summit in Jakarta during which
we agreed to take  steps  to  strengthen  relations  between
Malaysia  and Tunisia.   Our two countries have much in com-
mon.   We  both  had  experienced  colonial  domination  and
achieved independence about the same time -- Tunisia in 1956
and  Malaysia in 1957 and started on an active course of na-
tion building and economic development.   We  both  share  a
common  faith  in  Islam and are today active members of the
Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).    We  also  share
similar  views  on major international issues and cooperated
actively in the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.
It is our hope that this  visit  to  Tunisia  and  the  dis-
cussions  we  have  had  with you and other Tunisian leaders
will provide the stimulus for the expansion of relations be-
yond the existing contacts at international conferences  and
the occasional visits between officials of both countries to
something  more  tangible,  such  as specific cooperation in
projects that are mutually beneficial.
Your Excellency,
3.   Being developing countries committed to the  upliftment
of our peoples' standard of living and welfare, Malaysia and
Tunisia  have  embarked  on  rapid  economic development and
modernisation of our respective economies.   Both our  coun-
tries  are diversifying our economies in order to reduce our
dependence on traditional export products.  In the  case  of
Malaysia,  we have successfully transformed our economy from
one depending on traditional commodities  like  rubber,  tin
and palm oil, to that in which manufactured goods, electron-
ics  and petro-chemicals play important roles.  Malaysia to-
day  is  a  major   exporter   of   electrical   appliances,
air-conditioners, television sets and electrical components.
This  transformation  and  development  of our economy offer
vast opportunities for trade and investment between our  two
countries.   Malaysia and Tunisia today are in a position to
supply each other with many of their requirements  for  spe-
cific  items of manufactured goods and machinery produced by
their respective manufacturers.  I see an enormous potential
to boost our bilateral trade.
4.   In order to better examine the  opportunities  for  in-
creased trade between our two countries, I have brought with
me  a  small group of Malaysian businessmen who, in the next
two days, will establish contacts and discuss possible trade
deals with their Tunisian counterparts.  I welcome  recipro-
cal visits from Tunisian businessmen to Malaysia.  I am con-
fident  that with the Bilateral Payments Arrangement and the
Trade Agreement that were signed between our two  countries,
bilateral trade will increase in the years to come.
Your Excellency,
5.   The  need  to strengthen economic relations between de-
veloping countries has  made  South-South  cooperation  even
more necessary and urgent.  This is particularly true in the
light  of several changes taking place recently.  The atten-
tion paid by the rich industrialised North to  the  economic
reconstruction of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union
means  that  less  attention  will be paid to the developing
countries of the South.  The deadlock in the  Uruguay  Round
of  multilateral trade negotiations under GATT and the emer-
gence of trade blocs with protectionist tendencies, such  as
NAFTA  and  the European Single Market, would put developing
countries which depend exclusively on the  North  for  their
markets  at a great disadvantage.  Lately, issues of the en-
vironment, human rights  and  intellectual  property  become
valid  excuses for the North to erect trade barriers against
the South.  Against such a scenario, South-South cooperation
offers an excellent avenue for defending the economic inter-
ests of developing countries.
6.   I have just returned from the  Summit  Meeting  of  the
group  for  South-South  Cooperation  and Consultation, also
known as the Group of 15, in Senegal, where  several  issues
affecting  South-South  and  North-South relations have been
discussed.  It was agreed that  further  efforts  should  be
made  to encourage and expand South-South cooperation.  I am
happy that a project initiated  by  Malaysia,  that  is  the
South  Investment, Trade and Technology Data Exchange Centre
(SITTDEC), the aim of which is to  provide  information  and
data  regarding trade and investment opportunities available
in member countries, is now operational.   It  is  our  hope
that Tunisia would consider joining SITTDEC and benefit from
its services.
7.   Apart  from enhancing bilateral trade between us, other
areas of cooperation should also be identified, for Malaysia
and Tunisia possess expertise in different fields of science
and technology.  We note the excellence of the Tunisian  in-
stitutions of higher learning where Malaysian students could
pursue their studies in Islam and other professional fields.
Tunisian  students  could  also enrol in our institutions of
higher learning, such as the International  Islamic  Univer-
sity  in Kuala Lumpur which offers courses in various disci-
plines.
Your Excellency,
8.   We have followed with deep admiration the  active  role
that  Tunisia has played in international diplomacy, in par-
ticular your efforts to bring  about  peace,  stability  and
prosperity  in  your  region.    As  a  member  of  regional
organisations such as the Arab league and the  Arab  Maghreb
Union,  you have contributed your ideas and resources to re-
gional development.  You have also played an active role  in
promoting  cooperation and solidarity among Islamic nations.
Tunisia's resolute stand in helping fellow Islamic countries
and its readiness to work for peace  and  stability  between
nations  is indeed laudable.  An example is your unqualified
support for the just struggle of the Palestinian  people  in
realising  their  inalienable rights to an independent home-
land.  This is a position that Malaysia fully shares.
9.   As a country which respects international law  and  mo-
rality and as Muslims, we abhor the policies of genocide and
'ethnic cleansing' perpetrated by the Serbs on Bosnians.  We
salute Tunisia's steadfast stand on this issue and pledge to
work  together with you to end the aggression and atrocities
committed against the Bosnians.
Your Excellency,
10.  It is my earnest hope that my visit today will  open  a
new  chapter  in Tunisian-Malaysian friendship, firmly based
on mutual goodwill  and  understanding  and  leading  on  to
greater  interactions  in the field of economic development.
On our part, we welcome  this  opportunity  to  rectify  the
caprices  of  history and set our future destinies on a path
of greater convergence.
11.  Allow me to express my gratitude to you once again,  Mr
Prime  Minister  for your friendship and the generous hospi-
tality extended to me, my wife and members of my delegation.