U.S. President Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi in the Oval Office after their meeting at the White House in Washington May 21, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday pledged to elevate Tunisia as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, a gesture that recognizes the country's democratic progress after the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
The upgrade in status, shared by close U.S. allies like Israel and Japan, can help expedite defence shipments. But it is chiefly a sign of the importance Obama has placed on supporting the nascent democracy through turbulence in the region.
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