Bust of Habib Bourguiba inaugurated in Paris (Courtesy of Bertrand Delanoë’s official Twitter profile)

In order to celebrate Tunisian Independence Day, a bust of Tunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba, was unveiled yesterday in the 7th arrondissement of Paris near the Quai d’Orsay.

Building the bust was a French initiative, according to the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Inscribed on the base of the bust is a description of Bourguiba as “Founder and First President of the Tunisian Republic.”

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Tunisians living in Paris; politicians including Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris; and celebrities such as Claudia Cardinale, a French-Italian actress.

According to France 24, the bust was supposed to be unveiled in 2004, but the family of ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali blocked efforts to commemorate Bourguiba.

Bourguiba was born on August 3, 1903 and died on April 6, 2000. He was a leader of the Tunisian independence movement and served as president of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987. He is often compared to Turkish leader Mostafa Kemal Ataturk as a result of the pro-western reforms enacted under his leadership.