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Merkel to visit Algeria to boost economic partnership

Xinhua, February 20, 2017 Adjust font size:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to visit Algeria on Monday at the invitation of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, said a statement of the president's office on Sunday.

Merkel is due to hold talks with President Bouteflika and exchange views, notably on the relations between Algeria and the European Union, as well as the situation in the Maghreb, the Sahel and the Middle East, said the statement.

It said the visit of German chancellor will be an opportunity to give a new impetus to the bilateral cooperation in all fields.

Merkel is heading a delegation of 30 businessmen and employers, as Germany and Algeria are hoping to sign partnership projects as part of the 6th Algerian-German joint cooperation committee and business forum, added the statement.

The oil-rich North African nation is working on diversifying its economy, as part of the government plan to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons revenues.

Algeria is keen to attract more German companies to launch new industrial projects in the fields of renewable energies, car assembling, as well as chemistry and pharmaceutical industry.

Over 200 German companies are already established in Algeria, while trade exchange between the two nations hit 3.07 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, according to official figures. Endit