On the occasion of 45th anniversary of Tunisia's Independence

The Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin Bin Ali on Tuesday stressed that "preserving independence is no less important than the struggle to have it," noting that that " the struggle against colonialism has changed today to a struggle for the sake of maintaining the progress of the country, defending the country's sovereignty and perpetuating the freedom of national decision."

He expressed omens on the spirits of all those who died and had dedicated their lives to implant the seeds of freedom and exerted their sacrifices for maintaining the country's dignity, foremost being the late " President al-Habib Bourquiba. " President Bin Ali added in a speech he delivered on Tuesday on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Tunisia that " Tunisia's might lies in its people's reliance on self potentials and its mobilized efforts."

He added that the change of November 7th of 1987 ( when he came to power) was a perpetuation of independence and a consolidation to its foundations and the beginning of a new era of Tunisia's history."

The Tunisian President asserted that " employment occupies the forefront of challenges of the present and of the future, especially amid the unfamiliar changes the world has underwent in the area of work and the accelerated role of knowledge, sciences and technologies used to develop production means and services."