Brussels, 21/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU will, for the first time, send an electoral observation team to Algeria for the general election to be held on 10 May 2012. Commissioner Stefan Füle and Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Mourad Medelci have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the observation of the election. The MoU “is another clear sign that we move steadily towards more concrete cooperation”, the commissioner said. “We have no doubts about the importance of these elections, the first based on a number of reform steps undertaken in response to last year's events, which will make the parliament more representative responding also in this way to people's aspirations”, he added. In total, more than 500 international observers (including from the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League) will monitor the election.
The Commission has also announced that the first project in the EU-Algeria action plan, which will comprise the areas and priorities of future joint action within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, will be prepared in the next few weeks. (CG/transl.rt)