(TAP) – Tunisia is the first destination on the African continent to welcome the Flame of Friendship from March 7 to 10.

The Flame of Friendship also known as Eternal Flame will depart today from the Kasbah to visit the Medina, the historic heart of Tunis, and then head for the Olympic city.

On March 9, the Flame of the Friendship will cross Monastir and reach the summit of the "Ribat" of Monastir, the oldest and most important in the Maghreb.

Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Selma Elloumi-Rekik, received on Wednesday morning Baron Baron Kleiner de Grasse, International Organisation World Day of Knights President and Director General, who is visiting Tunisia on the occasion.

The Minister paid tribute to this laudable initiative that will bring Tunisian friendship to more than 112 countries and 2000 cities in the world, while expressing the gratitude of Tunisia which is the starting point of this flame of friendship on the African continent.

For his part, Baron Kleiner de Grasse indicated that Tunisia's choice for this first call is justified in the light of its progress in terms of democracy, freedoms and its attachment to the values ​​of peace, dialogue and respect between cultures and civilizations.

He also said that the members of the world organization will be bearers of messages that reflect the new reality of Tunisia.

The Flame of Friendship, officially departing from the Senate of the French Republic in Paris in 2016, travels the world covering 112 nations and over 2000 cities and metropolises from all continents in this global action until 2019 when the Flame of Friendship will arrive in Beijing. It is an unprecedented route of 72 thousand km around the world.

This unprecedented and federative action on a global scale is being carried out by the International Organisation World Day of Knights (IOWDOK),

in close collaboration with the embassies, ministries and state organs of the 112 nations, in order to convey a strong message of peace and friendship to the world and spread universal values ​​of friendship, solidarity, respect and better living together.