The United States and Tunisia have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations for over 200 years. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship which the United States and Tunisia signed in 1797 enshrines this special bond. Tunisia was among the first to recognize the newly independent United States. The United States reciprocated in 1956, when it became the first great power to recognize the sovereign nation of Tunisia. When Tunisia joined the community of democratic nations in 2014, the relationship between the United States and Tunisia reached new heights, from a relationship based on friendship and cooperation to a relationship between strategic partners.