Larijani travels to Tunisia for constitution celebration event

Iran Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has traveled to Tunisia to take part in a ceremony that will celebrate the adoption of the North African country’s first post-revolution constitution.

On Thursday, the Iranian Majlis speaker left Tehran for the Tunisian capital, Tunis, at the head of a legislative delegation upon the invitation of Mustapha Ben Jafar, the president of Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly.

Ahead of his trip, Larijani said Tunisia is among the “pioneering countries in regional revolutions,” adding that the African state has made great efforts to draft a new constitution and form a democratic government.

The Iranian lawmaker also stated that the Islamic Republic has from the outset voiced support for the Tunisian revolution.

The revolution in Tunisia led to the ouster of the country’s Western-backed dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.

Larijani added that Iran and Tunisia enjoy a good level of political relations, expressing hope that his trip to the African country would pave the way for the enhancement of Tehran-Tunis trade ties.

On January 16, Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly approved the country’s new constitution with an overwhelming majority. Ben Jafar said the new constitution was the Tunisian nation’s “dream.”

On January 28, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif praised Tunisia’s adoption of a constitution in a meeting with the country’s new Ambassador to Tehran Ghazi Ben Saleh. He wished success for the new Tunisian government and voiced Tehran’s readiness to develop ties with Tunis.