Algérie Presse Service (APS) - October 19, 2012

Proceedings of the first meeting of the Algerian-American strategic dialogue, co-chaired by Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel and by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, ended this evening in Washington, giving new impetus to bilateral relations promised to experience a strong boost in all areas of the relationship between the two countries.

In an address delivered at the opening of the proceedings of the first meeting of the Strategic Dialogue between Algeria and the United States, held at the headquarters of the U.S. State Department and attended by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman and representatives from several departments of the two countries, Mr. Messahel laid out the objectives and ambitions of the bilateral Strategic dialogue and presented the reforms implemented by Algeria, discussing at the same time the crises prevailing in the Sahel region and the Middle East.

Indeed, the minister noted that relations between Algeria and the united States have taken over the past few years "such scope and significance that boosting them, in a formalized framework, has naturally become imperative, particularly at a time when threats have expanded and factors of uncertainty have dangerously multiplied throughout the world."

Moving on to the issue of security, the minister underlined that Algeria and the United States "both face the same challenges to their security" and that threats such as terrorism, organized crime and migration phenomena "are realities that are meant to last and require coordinated international action."

In his address, Mr. Messahel also gave a presentation on the reform process initiated by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika since April 15, 2011, and which supports, he said, "the deep transformations experienced by Algeria over the past decade."

Moreover, in his discussion of the economic partnership between Algeria and the United States and their expected prospects, Mr. Messahel said that U.S. firms are encouraged to take advantage of the considerable potentialities offered by Algeria, which are characterized by a public investment program already being implemented and due to expand to reach $300 billion.

With regards to overall cooperation between Algeria and the United States, the minister expressed Algeria's firm commitment to give a major place to U.S. firms and added that reactivation of some agreements, including the Algerian-American board on TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement), would boost that approach.

In his address, Mr. Messahel also discussed the conflicts in the Sahel region and the Middle East (Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Syria) and called for concertation and dialogue. In that respect, he reiterated that Algeria "continues to give preference, in all circumstances and as much as possible, to political solutions and that it will continue to act firmly in keeping with international legality against terrorism and organized crime."

With regards to the Malian crisis, he said that the UN Security Council resolution "has federated various approaches," all the while noting the significance of "drawing lessons from recent history, such as in Libya, in order to avoid any confusion and overflows leading to other rifts with unpredictable consequences for security and stability in the region."

In all these issues threatening peace and security, Mr. Messahel assured that "the United States will always find in Algeria a reliable and credible partner that will be able to play its part, modest as it may be, in the consolidation peace in the world."

Discussing the issue of Western Sahara, Mr. Messahel said that "Algeria supports and encourages the efforts deployed by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Western Sahara Christopher Ross as he works to narrow the gap between the two parties to the conflict (Polisario Front and Morocco) in order to promote a solution based on the full exercise by the Sahrawi people of their right to self-determination."

In closing his remarks, Mr. Messahel, in a symbolic gesture, handed Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman a copy of the Treaty of Amity and Peace signed between Algeria and the United States on September 5, 1795. It is worth noting that this Treaty was unanimously ratified by the then-U.S. Senate then signed by John Adams, the second American president.

Additionally to his taking part in the meeting of the Strategic Dialogue, Mr. Messahel held talks at the White House with Mr. John Brennan, advisor to President Barack Obama for national security and counterterrorism issues.

Furthermore, Mr. Messahel was hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Issues (CSIS) at a roundtable covering Algerian-American bilateral relations, the reforms implemented in Algeria, the situation in the Sahel and in Mali, the situation prevailing in the Maghreb and the issue of Maghreb integration, as well as the issue of Western Sahara.

The roundtable was an opportunity for a gathering between the minister and experts from CSIS and other Washington-based think tanks, including the Woodrow Wilson Center, the Middle East Institute and the Stimson Center, as well as representatives from the U.S. Peace Institute, the American Bar Association, and the National Defense University.