UK, Algeria hold high level talks

Foreign Office Minister for North Africa Alistair Burt and Algerian Minister Delegate Abdelkader Messahel met in London on 8-9 March for the sixth Annual UK/Algeria high level political talks. Over the two days Mr Messahel also met the Foreign Secretary and FCO Minister Lord Howell of Guilford. Speaking after the talks, Mr Burt said that they had helped strengthen the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries. “Our economic relationship is good and is growing fast” he said. “ UK exports to Algeria increased by 60% last year, and we are looking to increase this still further.”  Mr Burt said that the talks aimed to discuss ways to extend the  two countries’ cooperation on renewable energy where, he said. Algeria is looking to expand its capacity. Commenting on the country’s political relations which he described as “strong”  he believed  that the UK’s experience “can help the Algerian government as it seeks to extend political reforms. In this context, I welcome Algeria’s decision to invite election monitors to witness the forthcoming polls” adding that the UK supports these efforts to improve political representation and human rights in Algeria. On the subject of terrorism, the Minister said that the UK was working closely with Algeria on tackling  what he described as “the shared threat posed by terrorism in the Sahel region.”  Adding that the two governments were united in  their opposition to the payment of ransoms to terrorist groups. Regarding  Syria. Mr Burt expressed his “revulsion at the ongoing violence in Syria”  and offered the British government’s “strong support for the Arab League’s efforts to bring about a political transition in Syria so that the bloodshed can be brought to an end.” Minister Delegate Messahel added that the development of bilateral relations is reflected by the fact that British businessmen are more familiar with Algeria and that trade between the two countries doubled during the year 2011.  Commenting on the meeting he said it was an “ excellent opportunity to keep the British government informed about the political reforms launched in Algeria, the deepening of the democratic experience, and to exchange our views on more important questions in the regional and international contexts like Syria, the Middle East and Western Sahara”.