243. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France 1

4167. Tunis 143.2 Dept hopes impasse over foreign affairs and diplomatic representation both Morocco and Tunisia can be reached soon and approves Embassy’s continuing press for prompt solution (Embtel 5206)3 coordinating as appropriate with British. Embassy may reiterate our desire establish Embassy Tunis soonest before Arab states take lead and our hope we can shortly respond Bourguiba’s request in manner similar we responded Balafrej May 7. As we have no diplomatic representative Tunis to cover interim, problem even more acute than Morocco.

ConGen Tunis should tell Bourguiba orally, as we have already told Khajeri,4 that our March 22 message to Bey constituted recognition new independent status Tunisia as defined March 20 Protocol and that we look forward opening diplomatic mission Tunis and normal exchange diplomats.5 We appreciate his desire US act this regard before any other country except France, as reported reftel. Therefore we continue hope Tunisia and France will reach agreement soon clarifying question diplomatic exchanges.6

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 772.02/5–856. Confidential; Priority. Also sent to Tunis; repeated to Algiers, Rabat, and Tangier.
  2. Dated May 8, telegram 143 reported that the Turkish Consul General transmitted a message from his government on May 8 which constituted recognition of Tunisia’s independence although diplomatic exchange was not mentioned. (Ibid.)
  3. Not printed. (Ibid., 601.0072/5–556)
  4. M.K. Hajeri, Bourguiba’s representative and Secretary General in the Tunisian Foreign Office.
  5. The Consulate General in Tunis was raised to Embassy status on June 5 with Hughes as Chargé.
  6. For text of a diplomatic accord signed at Tunis on June 15 by French and Tunisian representatives on June 15, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1956, pp. 726–727.