Indonesia awards Tunisian scientist

JAKARTA: Indonesian Ambassador to Tunisia Musma Musa Abbas, on behalf of the Indonesian government, has presented the Jasa Pratama medal to Tunisian scientist Rachid Driss for his contribution to the friendly relations between Indonesia and the North African country.

At the conferment ceremony in Tunis, Rachid was represented by his only grand-child, Jihane. Rachid failed to turn up for the ceremony because he had been hospitalized since March 5.

The Indonesian ambassador said Driss was also a Tunisian fighter who began his diplomatic career in Jakarta.

"This is a proof that historical ties between the two countries had existed even before Tunisian independence," Musma said.

Rachid wrote two books on Indonesia, titled "From Bob Souika to Manhattan," (1980) and "From Jakarta to Carthage" (1986).

The two books dwell on the close relations between then presidents Sukarno and Habib Bourguiba during their countries' struggle for independence. -- Antara