"The cultural genius is the ultimate expression of a History full of glories, and collective thought and sensitivity as well as of absolute faith in the rich civilizational heritage and promotion of the existing potential for innovation. Our people has already demonstrated through out its long history that it is capable of contributing, in an outstanding way, to world culture and evidences of our country’s contributions to successive civilizations are numerous and diverse.

Our country will remain a cradle for enlightment, modernization and innovation and an incubator of scholars, intellectuals and men of culture, thanks to the excellent place it holds in the Arab and Islamic culture, in the Mediterranean area, to its contributions on the African scene and its opening on societies of the West and East in Europe, America and Asia."

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
President of the Republic of Tunisia