Commend India for AU inclusion in G20, Global South initiative: Algerian envoy Achoui

Algerian ambassador to India Ali Achoui speaks to TOI about the upcoming presidential election in the North African country, bilateral ties, the war in Gaza and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif who won gold at the Paris Olympics.Presidential election will be held in Algeria on next 7 September. Could you tell us about the conditions and the context of this election and which candidate is more likely to win?

Three candidates have been retained by the Constitutional Court to participate in the presidential election of September 7 among a list of 16 postulants. Those are Abdelmadjid Tebboune, current President of the Republic, M Abdelali Hassani Cherif, candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), and M Youcef Aouchiche, candidate of the Socialist Forces Front (FFS). These candidates represent the entire spectrum of the Algerian political landscape, allowing voters to freely choose their candidates according to their preferences.

The electoral campaign started one week ago. Candidates are now campaigning across the country to present their projects and propositions to the Algerian people. A strong popular mobilization is recorded in favor of this important step in the completion of the institutional construction and the strengthening of the democratic practice.

Organizationally, the general conditions around this election are very favorable. It is important to mention that this important election is organized by an independent body, the National Independent Authority for Elections, instituted by the 2020 Constitution, along with the Constitutional Court, as a mechanism that guarantees fair competition among the candidates and free and transparent choice of voters.

On the economic front, the election intervenes in a period of a strong revival of the Algerian economy. Yearly Growth is stable around 4% throughout the previous presidential term with important impact in terms of job creation and improvement of salaries and income. Last year closed up with $12 billion trade surplus.The Balance of payments registered a $6 billion surplus which allowed to raise foreign reserves to $70 billion. This trend is based on a sustainable economic growth, thus projected to continue in the coming years.

In such favorable political and economic conditions, one can affirm with strong confidence that Algeria has left the zone of instability experienced before 2019 and entered into a phase of durable stability and resilience.

On the external front, the election takes place in a particularly challenging context marked by the ongoing aggression against Gaza, the war in Ukraine and multiple crises in our neighboring region. In Gaza, the international community witnesses a genocide and remains incapable to assume its responsibilities and to ensure the implementation of human rights and humanitarian law stipulations, including sanctions against the aggressor. For its part, fully assuming its responsibilities as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, representing both the Arab and African Regions, Algeria is deploying tremendous efforts, in cooperation with other countries, to immediately put an end to the Zionist aggression and hold the Zionist Entity responsible of its crimes.

In our own region, Algeria endeavors, as a peace exporter and a harbor of stability, to contribute to overcome the crises confronted by our brotherly countries. It also aims to make sure that solutions to these crises be found by the peoples of these countries themselves and ensure their territorial integrity and the unity of their peoples, while responding to any threat to our national security.

In sum, what is at stake during this election is, internally, the consolidation of institutions, democracy and economic growth, and, externally, the strengthening of national security and contribution to the international efforts to solve the current international crises, hence the strong mobilization of the Algerian nation for its success.

Algeria is a strong supporter of Palestine and you have in fact been working as a UNSC non-permanent member for a ceasefire in Gaza. But your President has recently pledged military support for Gaza. How will that help the situation? What is your assessment of the situation in West Asia?

Let me correct your question. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has not pledged military support. He did pledge, at an election rally during the ongoing electoral campaign, humanitarian assistance consisting in building in a very short period a number of field hospitals if conditions in the region allow. This pledge is taken to contribute to end the suffering of the Palestinian people which is under bombing and siege since last October. We have seen that Hospitals are among the targets of the aggressor which routinely disregards, in complete impunity, the stipulations and basic principles of the international humanitarian law. Yes, building hospitals is among the solutions to what the valiant Palestinian people is enduring, once the conditions on the ground are gathered.

Algeria recalled its Ambassador from France after the latter supported Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. How is that situation developing?

Yes, the Algerian authorities have taken the decision to recall our Ambassador in Paris after the recent inflexion of the French position on the Western Sahara issue. But let me tell you that the situation is fundamentally the same, as our minister of external affairs and national community abroad, Ahmed Attaf, clearly stated a couple of days ago. What needs to be retained is that Western Sahara remains and will remain on the UN list of non-self-governing territories. The issue is treated under the UNGA resolution 1514 at the 4th UN Committee dealing with decolonization. The organization of a referendum allowing the people of Western Sahara to exercise its sovereign and legitimate right to self-determination is the only viable solution to this issue. All other attempts aiming to impose a fait accompli and opening the way to the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara resources are morally and legally non receivable. Algeria calls the UN Security Council to assume its role as the incarnation of international legitimacy and to preserve its credibility as the guarantor of peace and security, on the last colony of the African Continent.

What is the current status of bilateral ties between Algeria and India? The last time an Algerian President visited India was in 2001 and it was in 1985 last that an Indian Prime Minister travelled to Algeria for a bilateral summit. Are you hopeful of a bilateral summit soon as Algeria heads into elections next month?

Algeria and India have cordial and friendly relations marked by mutual respect and understanding. India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Algeria right after independence in July 1962. In fact, India formally recognized the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA)marked by the opening of an official representation of the GPRA in New Delhi in 1959. Algeria-India relations are therefore built on a firm historical base.

During the first four decades, Algeria-India bilateral relations developed rapidly. Politically, the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement around the ideas of independence, equitable international economic order and South-South solidarity and cooperation sustained the dynamics of the bilateral ties. This period witnessed several visits at the Heads of State and Government level as you rightly mentioned. The fundamental transformations that occurred at the international level during the 1990s induced an adaptation of our bilateral relations as both countries went through deep internal reforms. But our bilateral relations kept the same spirit of solidarity and cooperation. The participation of late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, as the Guest of Honor of 2001 India Republic Day, constituted a milestone in the development of Algeria-India relations. On this occasion, the two countries signed a declaration for a partnership defining the framework and the central pillars of our bilateral relations, including a strategic segment.

Throughout this period, political consultations at the ministerial level were held annually on different occasions. To mention only the more recent visits, the Algerian Minister of foreign Affairs visited India in 2019.Muraleedharan, former minister of state for foreign affairs made a fruitful visit to Algeria in 2021.On this occasion, he was received by the Algerian Prime Minister and the Algerian minister of external affairs.

We are currently considering holding the 10th session of the Joint Commission in New Delhi, under the co-chairmanship of our foreign ministers. This would be an occasion to further deepen the political dialogue in the current turbulent international context and to give a new momentum to our bilateral cooperation to the benefit of our two countries and peoples.

A high level visit would come as a result of a substantive preparatory process which customarily includes the finalization of new instruments of cooperation and new bilateral engagements.

What are the sectors you see as the most promising for bilateral engagement?

Since I arrived to India in July 2023, I saw by myself the tremendous potential of cooperation that exists in a wide range of sectors. There are investment opportunities in sectors like traditional and renewable energy, including solar energy, pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, defense industries, SMEs, ICT, agriculture and food processing, logistics, railways, etc. In services, software engineering, digitization, electronic payments, higher education, health services, finance, leisure and travel-related industries are those offering the largest potential of development. These investments can be carried out in the Algerian market but also envisioned to penetrate regional markets.

We are currently working with our Indian friends and partners to seize these opportunities in a spirit of mutual and balanced benefits in the interest of our friendly countries and peoples.

The inclusion of AU in G20 happened under India’s presidency of the group. What you make of India’s recent efforts to emerge as the leader of the Global South?

As member of the African Union, Algeria naturally acknowledges and commends the important role played by the Indian Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in this important decision which corrects an anomaly in the membership and functioning of the G20. Ahmed Attaf, minister of foreign affairs and national community abroad, has called during the recent AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Accra to take advantage of this opportunity to advance the African Union Development Agenda in this important mechanism of global economic governance.

Algeria also welcomes the Indian initiatives to infuse a strong dynamics to the Global South and to enrich its framework through substantive propositions and frameworks. Algeria took part at the ministerial level in the first summit of the Global South Summit held at the initiative of the Indian Government.

In my opinion, these two frameworks open alsoimportant avenues for cooperation and coordination of efforts between Algeria and India which share the same vision on these matters in line with the principle of South-South Cooperation which knows currently an important revival and a renewed actuality.

How is Algeria reacting to the Olympics gender row involving boxer ImaneKhelif who went on to win the gold medal?

Imane Khelif has received the full support of the Algerian highest authorities and Algerian people during this challenging period. In fact, for us, there is no gender row. Imane Khelif was born girl, has been raised as a girl and practiced her sport as such since an early age. She won the Olympic gold medal against tough adversaries. Her victory was fully deserved. She fought like a lioness from Tiaret (West of Algeria), the city of lions, her native city.

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