The Washington Times

                            A Special International Report Prepared by
                           The Washington Times Advertising Department - Published on July 2, 1999
                           [Home Page]

Advertisers

(1) Sonatrach, An International Petroleum Group

(2)Council of Privitisation

(3)Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development

(4)CNEP

(5)Group Touring Club of Algeria

(6)Groupe Enad

(7)Wines from Algeria

(8)Blanky Industry Company

(9)EFG - Hermes

(10)DHL Worldwide Express

(11)Enterprise De Travaux Publics Batiments & Hydraulique

(12)Office National des Aliments du Betail (ONAB)

(13)Hotel El Djazaïr

(14)Halliburton Company

(15)Algeria National Enterprise for Tourism

(16)Investment Promotion, Support and Monitoring Agency, APSI

(17)Hôtel El-Aurassi

(18)Saïdal Group

(19)Mechanical Public Holding

(20)ENCG

(21)Sonatrach, Partnership the strategic choice

pubseal.gif (1985 bytes)

A Special International Report Prepared by The Washington Times
Advertising Department

Written by:
Rod Craig

Propject Director:
Hala Nasreddine

Photography by:
Rod Craig

For more information, call
The Washington Times International Advertising Department
at (202) 636-3035
(202) 635-0103 fax
e-mail: natlad@wt.infi.net

Fight against terrorism has helped the world

21-1.gif (23594 bytes) Algeria probably should ask for compensation from the international community for the role it has taken in fighting terrorism, says Bakhti Belaib, the Minister of Commerce.

"We have especially been embarrassed by the perception of foreigners of the situation in Algeria. It has never been what the foreigners thought it was. I can understand that some of them have this view of a country that bathes in violence 24 hours a day, perhaps because they have never observed the situation from the interior.

"We have heard it said that the people of this country bathe in civil war. This has never been the case. Our factories have never closed and eight million people have gone to school and universities all the time. We have never tried to hide the fact that there have been acts of terrorism. Our press has regularly reported the terrorism that has taken place and there was no desire to hide this.

"What we deplore is that for a long time Algerian terrorism had a political cover. The terrorism in this country was a terrorism that was hanging over the whole international community and, in particular, the Arab world. The security situation has vastly improved, compared with the beginning of this violence. There are still occasional acts by terrorists that aim at particularly isolated populations in the mountains.

Belaib said terrorism was able to get a foothold because Algeria was unprepared for it.

"We have lived 30 years of incredible stability. As a people we had not developed the reflex of vigilance, which mean that terrorist acts were committed much more easily - as opposed to western societies which are used to banditry or violent acts.

"Today terrorism is declining significantly, because our institutions - the police, the army - are becoming more efficient. Algeria will have contributed significantly to the fight against terrorism, which is not just an Algerian problem, but a terrorism, which hung over the international community.

"I even wonder whether Algeria one day will not have the right to ask for compensation from the international community because it fought a phenomenon which was threatening the community.

"Now foreigners are taking a renewed interest in Algeria. Firstly the ambassadors are coming back, On the investment side, in the energy sector, heavy involvement of foreign companies and visits from businessmen prove that the non-energy sectors of the economy are seriously beginning to interest foreign investors.

In some way, Algeria’s passage through the first phase of democracy has almost been a barrier to rehabilitation.

“The country had passed through a heavy socialist administrative structure that had not allowed us to express ourselves - so the inability of expressing ourselves is a product of the previous regime.

We have one of the most open presses in the world which publishes everything- whether it be security information or political news.

“All the stories about terrorist activities were told in the Algerian press. Even the national papers exaggerated the situation so what can you expect from the others, especially those who talk about the situation in Algeria from a distance. When I speak to you I am a big official that is a victim of terrorism.”

The Algerian government has launched a campaign to correct misinformation. “We had exhibitions on Algerian products especially in the Gulf countries. Although they are Arabs they are very far from us like the foreigners, and the impression they got is a product of the West. Some 250 businesses went to the exhibitions and the Arabs were amazed that the Algerians had such a wide spectrum of businesses. They still think we are socialists, a lot of them even think we are communists. We proposed to the Arabs that we are the Arab uma (Arab mother nation.)

"Four out of five don't know anything about Algeria. They haven't visited it during 30 years. It has only been known through big political events.

Algeria is working toward a free market economy. “ In 1994 our commerce was subject to a monopoly by about 400 public enterprises. Today there are more than 30,000 private importers. This means that we have already privatized the sector of commerce. What I deplore is that the Americans are absent from this process. Outside the field of energy the Americans are absent. If the Americans want to have a real view of Algeria and as a great power they do not need intermediaries, they should get their information at the source and they can only get it by being physically present.

"We have a level of exchange of about $1.5 billion- this has only been possible with the public enterprises. If these public businesses disappear the level is going to drop - because of the absence of the Americans. A public enterprise can be told to go out and buy. But to private businesses you can't give an order. We cannot defend Americans interests better than they defend them themselves.”

In the denationalization, Algeria has gained a lot, he said. “We had public enterprises here whose activity was simply to buy and sell. And, in spite of that, the treasury had to intervene to pay their losses. They lost money. Now my country no longer loses money in external commerce. Before, the minister of commerce used to watch over the arrival of cargo boats to make sure that there wasn't a shortage in the country. Now thanks to the opening (of the market) there are no more shortages. On the other hand, the problem that I have now is quality control. Before there were shortages of bread and it was often bad. Now all that is over.”

“ People are astonished by the statistics - the private sector now employs just as many as the public sector. It happened on its own - through the liberalization process.

"The Americans want us to free the economy and many other things. Now I can accuse them. The more we free the economy, the more the trade volume with the Americans diminishes. … Before the Americans told us you are a socialist economy - we won't work with you. But now we have a free market economy.... Why do you still not want to work with us? You’re pushing us toward a market economy why don 't you come? Algeria is one of most beautiful countries in the world. But I have been to America and found a great resemblance. It is true that Algeria is a giant which has slept for a long time, is it not in the world's interest that this country rises again?”

Algeria is striving to build unity with the United States. “We have set up systems to teach English with the Americans investing. We have the French language traditionally here but the French have done nothing either to preserve or maintain it. The US embassy had been the only one to stay open during the troubles.

“To weave this network of solidarity with the United States, the international community should understand the problems of Algeria. I am completely for a market economy. I don't accept that the people continue to trade with my country from afar, so much so that our banks seem only to be annexes to foreign banks, I cannot accept that. Some 80 percent of our trade exchanges since independence have been with European Union countries. This means that we have been a single market for a long time. If the Americans do not come, the tendency will be even greater.

“I want the market of my country to be reflection of the performance of the world's economies.

“I don't think that the Americans have split up the world market - saying that is for x and that is for y - I would be against that attitude and I don't believe that it is the case."

The French had a colonization of domination. De Gaulle had claimed that France extended from Dunkirk to Tamanrasset. "The French decided to leave all their countries except Algeria, which proves that they were not stupid, because they knew the potential.

He believes acts of terrorism are treated differently in Algeria than in other counties.

He felt that the Algerian government had been honest in admitting that the terrorist bases were in the country, but that other countries had pointed elsewhere claiming they were not on their territories. "Why didn't the Arab world support us before. We said that there should be an international convention against terrorism, but we were not credible because they took us for terrorists as well.

"That's the drama."

Table of Contents

(1) His Excellency Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria

(2) Country has resources and potential and is moving toward peace

(3) History

(4) Stability predictable for Algeria

(5) Terrorism is costly - in lives and finances

(6) Political Parties

(7) Despite being free, press sometimes is silenced

(8) Local bidders and foreign investors being courted

(9) Despite previous problems, economic future is bright

(10) Institutions