BEIJING – Thursday, 20 July 2023 (APS) – Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, said on Wednesday from Beijing that the current economic indicators make Algeria an “important market and a strategic country” for investors, describing Algerian-Chinese relations in the energy and mining sectors as “privileged and exemplary.”
“All current economic indicators place Algeria as an important market and strategic country for investors,” said Arkab in a speech at the Algerian-Chinese Business Forum, noting “Algeria’s economic stability, modern infrastructure that meets international standards, and ambitious sectoral strategies, in addition to competitive production costs and skilled human resources.”
Algeria has adopted a series of measures aimed at “achieving strategic objectives, adapting investment benefits and improving the business climate to attract foreign investment in terms of technology and experience,” added the Minister.
After affirming that Algerian-Chinese relations in the energy and mining sector were “privileged and exemplary, which is reflected in the projects carried out by the two countries in the field of hydrocarbon research and exploration, mines and petrochemicals,” the Minister highlighted the “fruitful partnership” between the Sonatrach group and a number of Chinese companies.
The Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Karim Bibi Triki, said that Algeria had made “major efforts in recent years to modernize and develop its information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure,” adding that the investments made in this area were an “opportunity for many Chinese companies to carry out a number of major projects.”
After revealing Algeria’s internet penetration rate, considered to be one of the “best in the Middle East and Africa,” Karim Bibi Triki affirmed that Algeria was “determined to play a central role in ICTs at regional level, and aspires to develop this in collaboration with China.
For his part, Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, Tayeb Zitouni, said that the State visit of President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to China had achieved “excellent commercial and economic results,” stressing that the two countries “have agreed to draw up a list of national products to be exported to China,” including agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and processed products derived from hydrocarbons.
Zitouni called on economic operators to “exploit this agreement and work to increase the volume of Algeria’s exports” to the Chinese market.