RIYADH- Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal arrived Monday evening in Riyadh for a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia as part of regular meetings for dialogue and consultations between the two countries’ officials.
Upon his arrival, Sellal was welcomed at the international airport of Riyadh by Crown Prince, vice-Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of Saudi Arabia Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz.
Sellal is accompanied by Minister of Maghreb Affairs, African Union and Arab League Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of Industry and Mining Abdeslem Bouchouareb, Minister of Energy Noureddine Boutarfa and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Abdesslam Chelghoum.
This visit will allow the two sides to assess the state of bilateral relations as well as ways to strengthen them in all fields.
During this visit, Prime Minister will take part in an economic forum aimed at “encouraging the two countries’ operators to develop the productive investment and increase the partnership initiatives likely to further strengthen the existing business relations.”
The visit will also be an opportunity, for both sides, to “broadly exchange views on a number of international and regional issues of common interest.”
Through the increasing exchange of visits between their senior officials, Algeria and Saudi Arabia seek to consolidate their excellent relations and boost their cooperation with a view to building a special partnership.
The official visit of Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal to Riyadh on Tuesday and Wednesday is in line with this spirit.
During his two-day visit, the Premier will examine with senior Saudi officials ways and means to consolidate their relations and strengthen their cooperation in various areas.
Sellal will also discuss with Saudi officials issues of common interest, especially the situation in the Arab world.
The Prime minister will also participate in a business forum, which aims at encouraging economic operators of the two countries to promote productive investments and increase partnership and business initiatives.
The Premier said that political relations between the two countries are “excellent” and marked by regular consultation on issues of common interest.
Sellal also underlined the two countries’ willingness to build a strategic partnership in view of the existing opportunities of complementarity and the strong political willingness of President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to develop and diversify their cooperation in line with the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
The Prime minister said that cooperation and partnership areas are numerous, citing among others, hydrocarbons, petrochemical industry, agriculture, knowledge-based economy and tourism.
“The Government supports investment in all those sectors through many incentives,” he added.
Sellal recalled the reforms initiated by Algeria since over a decade, to encourage the emergence of a strong and ambitious private sector, which is playing an important role in the economic development process.
The Premier reiterated Algeria’s commitment to removing obstacles faced by Saudi investors and ensuring the necessary conditions to encourage investments and boost trade volume between the two countries.
Source: Sellal starts official visit to Saudi Arabia
