Johnny Test Games

French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a state visit to Tunisia on Monday during which he will once again promoting French industry. There are also plans to finalize its plans for the company of a Mediterranean Union.

But there are likely to be a shade uncomfortable throughout the trip. Although human rights will not be high on the agenda, Nicolas Sarkozy will face a tough test of both its position on the issue and its recent pledge not to tolerate any more controversial statements of some of his ministers

Over the years Tunisia has come in for much international condemnation for its abuses of human rights and nongovernmental organizations hope the issue will be addressed during the visit.

But Sarkozy has often been accused of conducting foreign policy, putting business interests before considerations of human rights and his visit to Tunisia will probably follow a similar trend.

He will be surrounded by a horde of leading French industrialists representing the usual suspects who regularly accompany him on trips abroad, including Airbus and Alstom.

Also part of his entourage, however, Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Human Rights.

The outspoken Yade has already embarrassed his boss on two occasions. Last year, she criticized the human rights situation of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, when he was in Paris on a buying spree - echoing the thoughts of many at the time.

And more recently he had his famous interview with French daily Le Monde, in which she said Mr Sarkozy had set a number of conditions on China before confirming whether he would attend the opening ceremony of the Games Beijing Olympics. She then said she had been misquoted.

Although much of the attention will be directed to her and if she remains silent, there is no denying that the real purpose of the visit is once again the trade.

In addition to being a consummate politician, Sarkozy is probably also one of the best sellers in France. It will seek to ease an agreement with the Tunisian airline, which seeks to renew its fleet and happy about the possibility of France exporting its expertise in nuclear technology. In the pipeline is an agreement to build a reactor for civilian energy like already struck deals with Libya and Algeria.

When Sarkozy meets with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, he will also try to finalize plans for his own pet project - the establishment of a Mediterranean Union. Designed as a forum to strengthen political dialogue and economic cooperation among the 27 members of the European Union and the countries of North Africa, the details would be officially unveiled in Paris on July 13, after France takes over the rotating presidency for six months of the EU.

Evidence showed that Sarkozy will aim to return home with an armful of contracts, but at what cost in terms of addressing the problem of registration of Tunisia poor track on Human Rights.

Despite the promises he made last week, it could again be Yade allowing free reign to say what he feels, as head of state, unable to report on the case.