Brussels, 20/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - Algeria is moving forward in seeking to re-invent its relations with the EU. Hitherto, these relations have been marked by relative reticence over cooperation which Algiers has felt to be ill-adapted and of no great interest to it.
The country's Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said on Monday that his country “has agreed to participate in exploratory discussions with the European Union over the European Neighbourhood Policy”, reports Algérie Presse Service (APS). No date for the talks was given and, indeed, it is unlikely that any date will be given so long as the meetings remain informal. The ultimate aim is to join the European Neighbourhood Policy but, as the minister says, “the decision will be taken after these discussions”, stressing, APS reports, that he “cannot prejudge the final outcome”.
The opportunity for these talks comes with the reworked European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This policy, much criticised by Algeria initially, “has been re-assessed by the Europeans themselves over the last few months, and they involved Algeria, which is not part of this neighbourhood policy, in the assessment”, Medelci said. Today, he went on, “we find ourselves on the same wavelength of the reworked ENP”. The policy still has the same objectives, he noted, “but does not apply them in the same way to all countries”. This new vision “seeks to approach each of the countries as equals to discuss a roadmap between the country concerned and the European Union and to give specific content to the European Neighbourhood Policy for each of the countries”, he said, according to APS. (FB/transl.rt)