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Algerian Prime Minister: We Seek Strategic Partnership with Riyadh | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Algeria’s Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal speaks during the opening ceremony of the African Conference on Green Economy in Oran February 22, 2014. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the aging independence veteran who suffered a stroke last year, will run for re-election on April 17, Sellal said on Saturday, a vote likely to hand him a fourth term in power. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA – Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)


Algeria- Algeria’s Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal commended solid Saudi-Algerian relations and expressed his country’s wish to increase the cooperation to the level of strategic partnership.

According to Sellal, Algeria seeks boosting commercial exchange, achieving direct interaction among businessmen of both countries, developing cultural exchange and reinforcing cooperation in Hajj and Umrah.

Commenting on the latest oil agreement and the Algerian role in this aspect, Sellal said “Oil economy is witnessing, for the third year, deterioration in prices and this does not fall in the interest of any country in the world. If markets are not controlled then they will be at risk of dangerous fluctuations… Algeria is struggling for an acceptable and fair price that allows reinvestment in the energy sector.”

“Regardless of commercial data and the supply-demand gap, there is a consensus that geopolitical and security factors were the main reason behind the current crisis… The Algerian agreement, however, sent positive vibes to the international market,” he added.

Speaking of his expected visit to Saudi Arabia, Sellal said that for Algerians Saudi leadership and people have a special place and the political relations between the two countries are excellent under the framework of continuous coordination and consultation.

“Fields of cooperation and partnership are many including: petrochemicals, fuel, industry, tourism and agriculture—investment in these sectors is supported by the Algerian government through various facilities,” added Sellal.

Having mutual border with countries suffering from wars and troubles, the Algerian prime minister said that the People’s National Army (ANP) is always ready to ensure safety of people and properties and that this mutual border doesn’t represent a source of worry or danger.

Moving to the upcoming parliamentary elections, Sellal expressed surprise of the opposition doubting the elections’ integrity. “Parties might decline results of previous elections but questioning a voting that hasn’t been done yet is something new,” he said.

“The government’s role in the electoral process is restricted to preparations of lists and campaigns along with raising awareness among citizens towards the importance of voting and participating in choosing their representatives,” added Sellal.

On the economy level, the Algerian PM said that some international financial institutes hailed in official reports the steps taken by Algeria to combat effects of the fall of oil prices and to achieve an economic transformation away from dependency on fuel.

PM pointed out recent reports issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank—these reports show that Algeria still maintains stable economic indicators and achieves annual growth despite the oil crisis and its effect on resources.