Tunisia Moves toward Renewing Diplomatic Ties with Syria
Tunisia announced Thursday plans to appoint a consular or diplomatic representative to war-hit Syria, more than three years after the two countries broke off diplomatic ties.
Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche told AFP that Tunisia will have a "consular or diplomatic representative... in Syria within days to monitor the situation of Tunisians, both civilians and combatants".
He said that the Syrian government was expected to reciprocate and would sent to Tunis "either an ambassador... or another diplomatic representative".
In February 2012, Tunisia expelled Syria's ambassador and recalled its envoy from Damascus, to protest at the rising death toll of civilians by regime troops in the first year of the Syrian uprising.
In a tit-for-tat move, Syria also asked Tunisia to close its embassy in Damascus.
Some 3,000 Tunisians have joined ranks with jihadist organizations, including the Islamic State group, in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
Baccouche said dozens of Tunisians are also jailed in Syria and he would like to bring them home to finish their sentences.
"We don't believe that it is in Tunisia's interests to sever ties (with Syria)," Baccouche said.
Kuwait, one of many countries that followed Tunisia's example in 2012, announced in January that the Syrian embassy had resumed consular services for some 140,000 Syrian citizens living on its soil.
Syrians are facing huge administrative hardships in countries where their embassies closed, as they are unable to renew passports or obtain official documents.
The Syrian conflict began with peaceful demonstrations in 2011 but spiraled into a devastating civil war that is estimated to have killed more than 215,000 people.
Source: Agence France Presse
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