APS : Thursday, 20 December 2018
ALGIERS- Algeria and China welcomed Wednesday, in Algiers, the “exceptional achievements” made in various fields as part of the cooperation relations, reiterating their “conviction”
of the need to develop this bilateral cooperation and raise it to the highest level for the two countries’ mutual benefit.
The celebration this year of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Algeria and China “shows the strong relations between the two countries,” affirmed Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdelkader Messahel in a ceremony organized on this occasion, welcoming the “major progress” that has been made in various field since their establishment.
Algeria and China are linked by relations built up during the National Liberation War, underlining that China was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic in September 1958, according to Messahel.
China, he added, was also the first country to respond to the urgent call of Algeria following the independence by sending medical missions to help the local population.
Foreign Minister underlined that China has contributed and continued supporting the development process in Algeria, notably in the fields of human development and infrastructures.
While affirming that China remains one of Algeria’s important commercial and economic partners in several fields, the minister said the friendship and solidarity relations between the two countries were crowned with a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement and a five-year cooperation plan.
The two countries’ governments signed last September a memorandum of understanding to seal Algeria’s adherence to the Chinese initiative of the new Silk Road, he said.
Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, “One Belt, One Road” is a strategic development initiative based on exchanges and cooperation between China and Asian, European and African countries.
For his part, China’s ambassador to Algeria Lie Lianhe said that Algeria and China “still have many things to do together” and “build together a community with an even stronger future.”
In the past 60 years, Algeria and China achieved a miracle characterized by a steady development of the bilateral relations,” he added, expressing his country’s satisfaction at the pioneering role played by Algeria to preserve peace and security in the region.”
