ISLAMABAD : Monitoring Desk – Türkiye and Algeria signed 13 agreements Thursday spanning trade, transportation, media, disaster management and industrial cooperation in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Erdogan and Tebboune oversaw the signing of the agreements following talks in Ankara and the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
The two leaders also signed the joint declaration of the council’s first meeting.
The agreements covered cooperation in postal services and telecommunications, international passenger and freight transport, welfare support for independence veterans and families of martyrs, mutual recognition and exchange of driver’s licenses and disaster and emergency management.
Agreements
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in postal services and telecommunications.
Fidan and Algerian Interior, Local Authorities and Transport Minister Said Sayoud also signed an agreement on international passenger and goods transportation.
Turkish Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas and Attaf signed a memorandum on welfare support for independence veterans and relatives of martyrs.
Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci and Sayoud signed agreements on the mutual recognition and exchange of driver’s licenses, as well as cooperation in disaster and emergency management.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir and Algerian Industry Minister Yahia Bachir signed memorandums on industrial cooperation and collaboration in standardization, conformity assessment and training.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli and Algerian Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries Minister Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid signed an agreement on cooperation in plant protection and plant quarantine.
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Algerian Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion Kamel Rezig signed a declaration launching negotiations for a preferential trade agreement between the two countries.
A memorandum on cooperation in combating disinformation in the media was signed by Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Attaf.
Turkish Investment and Finance Office President Ahmet Burak Daglioglu and Algerian Investment Promotion Agency Director General Omar Rekkache signed a memorandum on investment promotion cooperation.
Separate memorandums of understanding on television and radio cooperation between Algeria’s public broadcasting organization, EPRS, and Turkish public broadcaster TRT were signed by TRT Director General Zahid Sobaci and Algeria’s Ambassador to Turkiye Boumediene Guennad.
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President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decorated with the Order of State by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Delivering remarks during the conferment ceremony held at the Presidential Complex, President Erdoğan stated that they witness with pleasure that the ties of brotherhood and friendship between Türkiye and Algeria, which date back five centuries, further increase each passing day, and added:
“Our bilateral relations have reached the highest level of the Republican era with the sincere supports of my treasured friend President Tebboune of Algeria. Today, we have successfully completed the first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council mechanism, which we decided to elevate to the strategic level during my visit to Algeria in 2023, and have signed various documents, which will strengthen our cooperation, on the occasion of the meeting.”
“I am feeling the happiness of decorating you with our Order of State, the highest order of the Republic of Türkiye, due to your precious contributions to the common interests of our countries and peoples as well as to our bilateral relations. I have no doubt that you will see and carry our Order of State as a strong sign of the unshakable brotherhood between our countries. Also, I would like to express my pleasure over the conferment of Order of Athir to me. I extend my gratitude for the kindness shown to me,” President Erdoğan said.
Speaking at a joint press conference with President Tebboune of Algeria, President Erdoğan said: “We are determined to enhance our cooperation with Algeria, which is one of our biggest trade partners in the continent of Africa, in many strategic areas, notably energy, mining, transportation and agriculture.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria held a joint press conference following their tête-à-tête and the High-Level Strategic Council Meeting at the Presidential Complex.
President Erdoğan said: “The mutual respect and affection stemming from our shared history constitute the engine of the Türkiye-Algeria relations. We observe this spirit of solidarity in not only our bilateral relations, but also in the common stance we display in many international matters. We are determined to enhance our cooperation with Algeria, which is one of our biggest trade partners in the continent of Africa, in many strategic areas, notably energy, mining, transportation and agriculture. We have sped up our efforts in line with our goal of 10-billion-dollar trade volume, which we set in 2023.”
Underscoring that the war that has begun in the region with Israel’s provocations and arrangements continues to affect especially energy markets, President Erdoğan stated: “We as Türkiye built and developed reliable, stable and sustainable energy cooperations with Algeria as well years ago. Currently, we further our long-term cooperation in energy supply security, natural gas in particular, each passing day. We are of the opinion that we should address the opportunities of partnership in renewable energy and new technologies as well. We aim to realize the potential for cooperation in mining sector through joint investments and mutual experience sharing.”
Noting that they have exchanged their views on regional and international matters as well during today’s talks, President Erdoğan went on to say: “We are one of the strongest advocates of the two-state solution in Palestine. As you know, the establishment of the State of Palestine was proclaimed in Algeria on November 15, 1988. We have appreciated the support Algeria have provided to the Palestinian cause in the past two years throughout its membership in the United Nations Security Council. The Israeli aggression in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon has once again shown that the primary security problem in our region is the expansionist, noncompliant and unlawful policies of the current government.”
“We attach great importance to the strengthening of Syria’s security and stability in line with our understanding of regional ownership. We will determinedly continue to contribute to the restructuring of Syria,” President Erdoğan added.
