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                Kerry Visits Tunisia Amid Democratic Transition

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Tunisia to talk with officials
   about the democratic transition in the country where the so-called Arab
   Spring protests began three years ago.
   Kerry was due to meet Tuesday with President Moncef Marzouki and Prime
   Minister Mehdi Jomaa during his previously unannounced visit to Tunis.
   Earlier this month, Tunisia ratified a new constitution that some
   observers say is one of the most progressive in the Arab world, but
   which some government opponents say does not do enough to protect
   women`s rights. The document sets out to make Tunisia a democracy not
   based on Islamic law.
   U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended Tunisia on the new
   constitution, saying last month he believes the country can be a "model
   to other peoples seeking reforms."
   Kerry also praised the changes last month, saying the constitution and
   a new caretaker government are "historic milestones" in Tunisia`s
   democratic transition.
   He further encouraged the government to set a date for early elections
   in order to allow Tunisians to pick leaders and determine their future.
   Kerry traveled to Tunisia from the United Arab Emirates, where he held
   talks about the situation in Syria, Iran`s nuclear program and the
   Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
   He flies next to Paris where he is scheduled to holds talks Wednesday
   with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
   Kerry has spent months trying to get Israel and the Palestinians to
   agree on a framework to guide negotiations for resolving their
   long-running conflict.
   The two sides resumed talks in July after a three-year break, but have
   made little visible progress.
   During initial meetings, Israel agreed to a prisoner release, while the
   Palestinians dropped their demand for Israel to stop settlement
   construction before peace talks are held.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-visits-tunisia-amid-democratic-
   transition/1853607.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-visits-tunisia-amid-democratic-transition/1853607.html