Tunisia: Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle meets with journalists and bloggers

At an interview during his visit to Tunisia, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle answered questions from mainly young journalists working at the Tunisian state broadcaster's editorial desks. They were interested in his perceptions of the country one year after the Tunisian revolution and in the type of German support their country could expect.

Bloggers who had participated in a three-day DW-AKADEMIE Young Media Summit held in Tunis last December attended a discussion following the interview. "Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are the prerequisites for building a democratic society," Westerwelle said. "Tunisians can be a role model for others in Arab countries."

The German Foreign Minister emphasized that a journalist's responsibility in building a democracy was to provide fair and objective reporting. He urged them to exercise their right to freedom of expression and said Germany is supporting them in this, referring to DW-AKADEMIE projects. "Our intense work and diverse media projects over the past year means we are now known in the country," says Michael Tecklenburg, coordinator for North Africa.

Last year, DW-AKADEMIE held more than ten workshops in Tunisia for radio and television journalists from state and private media, as well as various conferences. Projects will continue in 2012 with support from Germany's Foreign Ministry.