Algeria Discusses Agricultural Partnerships with Russian and Chinese Operators
The Algerian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid, met with economic operators from Russia and China to discuss mechanisms for strengthening cooperation and partnership in agriculture, according to a statement released by the ministry on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Oualid received the founder and president of the EkoNiva group, Stefan Duerr, at the ministry’s headquarters, in the presence of the agricultural affairs officer at the Russian Embassy in Algeria and the vice president of the Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA), the same source noted.
The meeting allowed the Russian side to explore investment opportunities in Algeria and the incentives provided to investors. Russian operators expressed their willingness to implement investment projects in agriculture, particularly in the southern regions, which possess significant potential and natural resources, according to the same source.
In a second meeting, the minister received a delegation from the Chinese state-owned Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), led by Zhang Xincheng, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a senior official within the company.
Discussions focused on the privileged nature of the friendly and cooperative relations between Algeria and China and the shared commitment to revitalizing these ties in various fields, including agriculture, where several opportunities for cooperation, particularly in modern agriculture, were explored.
In this context, Oualid highlighted Algeria’s interest in the Chinese model and its desire to leverage China’s expertise in agricultural technologies, particularly in reforestation, combating desertification, developing seeds suited to arid climates, and irrigation.
In addition to proposing mechanisms for cooperation and partnership between scientific research institutions of both countries, Chinese operators were invited to invest in Algeria and benefit from the incentives offered to investors, as well as Algeria’s strategic geographical location for accessing international markets, the statement said.
