TUNISIA: PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY OF IVORY COAST ON TOUR WITH PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA

Record ID: 183135

  • Title: TUNISIA: PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY OF IVORY COAST ON TOUR WITH PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA
  • Date: 25th March 1968
  • Summary: SCENES FROM THE VISIT TO MONASTIR. Initials RM/VS/BHH/PC SHORT VISION Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th April 1968 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MONASTIR & KAIROUAN, TUNISIA
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7ZAJWMG9AT58J1A4CWR6E1QZI
  • Story Text: PRESIDENT FELIX HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY OF THE IVORY COAST AND PRESIDENT HABIB BOURGUIBA OF TUNISIA ARE HAVING THEIR FINAL MEETING IN TUNIS TODAY (MONDAY) BEFORE PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY RETURNS HOME AT THE END OF HIS ONE WEEK OFFICIAL VISIT. THE IVORY COAST LEADER HAS BEEN WIDELY TOURING TUNISIA - ON FRIDAY NIGHT HE WENT TO MONASTIR, 160 MILES (170 KMS) SOUTH OF TUNIS, AND THE NEXT DAY TO KAIROUAN, THE HOLY CITY IN CENTRAL TUNISIA.

    PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY WAS MET BY HIS HOST WHEN HE ARRIVED IN MONASTIR, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE. PRESIDENT BOURGUIBA, WHO WAS BORN IN MONASTIR, DROVE WITH HIM TO THE TOWN HALL TO RECEIVE THE FREEDOM OF THE TOWN FROM THE MAYOR. THE ANCIENT TOWN OF MONASTIR WAS A ROMAN STRATEGIC BASE IN THE TIME OF JULIUS CAESAR - MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AGO.

    ON THEIR WAY BACK TUNIS THE NEXT DAY, THE TWO PRESIDENTS STOPPED AT KAIROUAN WHERE THEY VISITED THE GRAND MOSQUE - THE OLDEST IN THE ISLAMIC WEST - AND THE MOSQUE OF ES-SAID ES-SAHIB, WHERE ONE OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET, ABOU DJAMA EL BALAOUI, IS BURIED. THEY ALSO WITNESSES A FANTASIA - A PARADE OF GALLOPING HORSEMEN.

    PRESIDENT HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY TOLD THE TUNISIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY THAT AFRICAN NATIONS MUST STRIVE TOWARDS UNITY BY STRENGTHENING CO-OPERATION AND PROMOTING REGIONAL GROUPINGS. HE URGED AFRICAN STATES TO GIVE UP ONCE AND FOR ALL TRYING TO ACHIEVE LOFTY AND UNREALISTIC AIMS AND TO CONCENTRATE ON EXPLOITING THE COMMON INTERESTS THAT EXISTED BETWEEN THEM AFRICAN UNITY WAS A GREAT BUT DELICATE UNDERTAKING WHICH REQUIRED CONTINUITY, ORDER AND PRESTIGE TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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