Relationship dossier
Syria
Tunisia
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic relations restored after a rupture over the Syrian conflict
Syria toward Tunisia
+15Syria restored diplomatic engagement with Tunisia, including through the exchange of ambassadors in 2023, after relations had been severed.
Tunisia toward Syria
+5Tunisia severed diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 amid the government’s crackdown during the uprising, then restored relations and exchanged ambassadors with Syria in 2023.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship was marked by Tunisia’s 2012 diplomatic break over the Syrian conflict, followed by renewed diplomatic engagement and an exchange of ambassadors in 2023. Restoration represents concrete rapprochement, though the extent of broader cooperation is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Tunisia cut diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 amid the Syrian government’s violent response to the uprising. Tunisia later moved to restore relations, and the two governments exchanged ambassadors in 2023. The relationship thus combines a serious period of political rupture with a recent, concrete restoration of diplomatic engagement.
Areas of tension
- Tunisia’s 2012 break in diplomatic relations amid the Syrian government’s crackdown during the uprising.
Key developments
Tunisia severed diplomatic relations with Syria amid the Syrian uprising.
Syria and Tunisia restored diplomatic relations and exchanged ambassadors.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of practical cooperation following the exchange of ambassadors is unclear.
- The extent to which the two governments have resolved their political differences over the Syrian conflict is unclear.