Visiting Algiers on Saturday 8 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President Federica Mogherini had "a fairly exceptional work meeting" with Algeria's Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and members of his government, before delivering a speech at the university on the Erasmus + programme.
In particular, Mogherini dealt with the relaunch of the cooperation, which is notable for a request for review of certain aspects of the association agreement: "we have worked very intensely with our teams over the last 18 months in order to give special renewed momentum" and "(we have) developed a sort of roadmap" with "common priorities".
Mogherini reaffirmed the EU's "interest and readiness to accompany Algeria" in its "economic diversification", a "key" subject ahead of a crucial electoral deadline (early May). The EU is offering its "expertise" for setting up "competitiveness, improvement of the business environment and the creation of jobs, partnerships with European operators, and the creation of small businesses". With Algeria, there will reportedly be a "closeness, which is not only geographical and cultural" but also "a closeness of mutual interests on which we are working very well together".
Trade and young people. During her conference at the university, Mogherini underlined the crucial role given to the Erasmus programme: "it is the best way of investing in relations and partnerships". The EU, furthermore, "is working very closely on matching training with the world of work and the creation of qualified jobs", and wants "to support young entrepreneurs in Algeria and the region, especially on the modernisation and management of small businesses".
Discussions covered regional subjects and underlined "the need to have a Europe which is strong on the world scene, on which our partners in the region and in the world can count". Subjects discussed included Syria, Libya and the Sahel, the Western Sahara, and terrorism: we "talked at length about the common fight against radicalisation (...) and the fight against terrorism, and also on the mobility of people". According to Algeria's minister for Maghrebi, African and Arab affairs, Abdelkader Messahel, it was "agreed to set up a security dialogue mechanism for counter-terrorism, as part of our bilateral cooperation". (Original version in French by Fathi B'Chir)