,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bcf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #e1 #bjai,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself and ,mr4 ,romney7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,reaffirming the strong partnership between ,tunisia and the ,united ,states and supporting the people of ,tunisia in their continued pursuit of democratic reforms4 ,whereas relations between the ,united ,states and ,tunisia began in #agie1 and the #b countries have partnered in trade and security since the signing of the ,treaty of ,peace and ,friendship1 signed at ,tunis1 ,august #bh1 #agig2 ,whereas the ,united ,states was the first major power to recognize a sovereign ,tunisia1 following its independence from ,france in #aief2 ,whereas the people of the ,united ,states and of ,tunisia share core values1 such as respect for human rights1 democracy1 and the rule of law2 ,whereas1 on ,january #ad1 #bjaa1 the peaceful mass protests of the ,jasmine ,revolution successfully brought to an end the authoritarian rule of ,president ,ben ,ali2 ,whereas1 in the aftermath of ,ben ,ali's resignation1 ,tunisians-- 7#a7 initiated a peaceful1 consensus-based1 and inclusive transition to democracy2 7#b7 held the first competitive1 multi-party democratic elections of the #bjaa ,arab ,spring2 7#c7 adopted a new constitution in #bjad2 and 7#d7 held new elections under that constitution later that year2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ca1 #bjad1 after winning a free and fair presidential election1 ,beji ,caid ,essebsi was inaugurated as the first freely elected ,president of ,tunisia2 ,whereas1 on ,october #i1 #bjae1 the ,norwegian ,nobel ,committee awarded the ,tunisian ,national ,dialogue ,quartet1 a coalition of #d civil society organizations1 the #bjae ,nobel ,peace ,prize for the coalition's work-- 7#a7 building on the promise of the #bjaa ,jasmine ,revolution2 and 7#b7 ensuring that the transition of ,tunisia into a democracy did not descend into violence or renewed authoritarianism2 ,whereas ,tunisia has been the only ,north ,african country to achieve a ,free rating by the ,freedom ,house's annual ,freedom in the ,world report1 and has maintained a ,free rating since #bjae2 ,whereas the political evolution of ,tunisia stands as an inspiration for citizens of other states aspiring to establish the institutions of democracy after a history of autocratic rule2 ,whereas ,tunisia suffered significant terrorist attacks in #bjae and #bjaf2 ,whereas1 on ,october #bi1 #bjah1 a terrorist attack on ,avenue ,habib ,bourguiba in ,tunis wounded #bj people and was perpetrated by an unemployed university graduate who had been unemployed for #c years and had no known ties to terrorist groups2 ,whereas1 in the aftermath of these attacks1 citizens and leaders of ,tunisia have reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue1 pluralism1 and democracy2 ,whereas a significant number of ,tunisian fighters for extremist groups1 including the ,islamic ,state of ,iraq and ,syria 7,,isis7 reportedly returned to ,tunisia1 many clandestinely1 between #bjaa and #bjah2 ,whereas ,tunisia continues to face serious threats to its security from violent extremist groups operating within the country as well as in neighboring countries2 ,whereas1 in ,july #bjae1 ,president ,obama designated ,tunisia as a major non-,,nato ally2 ,whereas ,tunisia has committed approximately #ae percent of its budget to defense and interior ministries for counterterrorism in recent years1 at the expense of economic and social development2 ,whereas ,tunisia faces economic challenges1 including high inflation and high unemployment1 especially among young ,tunisians2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government is committed to continuing a strong economic partnership with ,tunisia as its government undertakes reforms to transform its economy to meet the aspirations of all of the citizens of ,tunisia2 ,whereas it is in the interest of the ,united ,states1 and consistent with the values of the ,united ,states1 to support the aspirations of the people of ,tunisia in developing a pluralist democracy and transparent1 effective institutions2 ,whereas1 in accordance with the ,united ,states-,tunisia strategic partnership1 both countries are dedicated to working together to promote-- 7#a7 economic development and business opportunities in ,tunisia2 7#b7 education for the advancement of long-term development in ,tunisia2 and 7#c7 increased security cooperation to address common threats in ,tunisia and across the region2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government should provide a level of funding to strongly assist and reinforce ,tunisia's promising transition into a democratic1 stable1 and prosperous nation3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 commends the people of ,tunisia for their commitment to democracy1 the rule of law1 and free and fair elections2 7#b7 commends the political leaders of ,tunisia for their willingness to compromise and work together in the national interest2 7#c7 condemns all acts of terrorism1 and extends condolences to the families of victims of terrorism and to the people and ,government of ,tunisia2 7#d7 commends the people and ,government of ,tunisia for their resilience in the face of terrorist attacks and their enduring commitment to a free1 democratic1 and peaceful ,republic of ,tunisia2 7#e7 encourages ,president ,essebi1 ,head of ,government ,chahed1 and the ,parliament of ,tunisia to work together to accelerate economic reforms and anti-corruption measures2 7#f7 looks forward to new free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for the last several months of #bjai2 7#g7 calls on the ,government of ,tunisia-- 7,a7 to fully implement the ,tunisian ,constitution of #bjad1 including the protection of civil liberties and the establishment of new institutions1 such as the ,constitutional ,court2 7,b7 to continue its commitment to democratic accountability and transitional justice1 including with regard to corruption2 7,c7 to continue decentralizing political power to local governments1 which is a key step toward more accountable governance and a means to address long-standing issues of dramatic regional disparity in health care1 education1 poverty1 and infrastructure2 and 7,d7 to further develop its plan to identify1 prosecute1 deradicalize1 or reintegrate into society ,tunisian fighters returned from abroad2 7#h7 calls on the neighbors and partners of ,tunisia to work cooperatively with the ,government of ,tunisia to counter terrorist threats1 secure borders1 and support the democratic transition of ,tunisia2 7#i7 reaffirms the national interest of the ,united ,states in continued democracy in ,tunisia1 including-- 7,a7 respect for the rule of law2 7,b7 independent media2 7,c7 a vibrant civil society2 and 7,d7 universal rights and freedoms1 including equal rights for all citizens and freedom of speech2 7#aj7 affirms the national interest of the ,united ,states in ,tunisia's economic prosperity and development1 including through increased foreign direct investment1 tourism1 entrepreneurship1 technical cooperation1 and strengthened trade ties2 7#aa7 reaffirms the commitment of the ,united ,states ,government to ,tunisia1 including a commitment to provide appropriate levels of assistance1 in support of the ongoing transition of ,tunisia to an inclusive1 prosperous1 and secure democracy2 7#ab7 recognizes important partnerships1 including-- 7,a7 the ,u4,s4-,tunisia ,strategic ,dialogue2 7,b7 the ,u4,s4-,tunisia ,joint ,military ,commission2 7,c7 the ,u4,s4-,tunisia ,joint ,economic ,commission2 7,d7 the ,tunisian ,american ,enterprise ,fund2 and 7,e7 international educational exchange programs1 including the ,fulbright ,program and the ,thomas ,jefferson ,scholars ,program2 7#ac7 urges increased ,united ,states engagement and cooperation with the people and ,government of ,tunisia1 including-- 7,a7 ,tunisia's democratic institutions2 7,b7 civil society2 7,c7 schools and universities2 7,d7 independent media2 and 7,e7 the private sector2 and 7#ad7 reaffirms the historic and continuing friendship between the people of the ,united ,states and the people of ,tunisia4