Wallace Ruzvidzo
Sunday Mail Correspondent
ALGERIA is committed to enhancing trade, investment and economic co-operation with Zimbabwe to match the two countries’ excellent political relations, the country’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Nourredine Yazid has said.
In an interview, Ambassador Yazid said plans are afoot to revive the two countries’ Joint Permanent Commission on Co-operation later this year, in a development expected to boost economic ties. The JPCC was last convened in 2009.
He said a recent meeting between chambers of commerce from both countries identified potential areas of economic co-operation.
Amb Yazid said Algeria imports Zimbabwean tobacco through third party countries, demonstrating the urgent need to facilitate direct trade between Harare and Algiers.
“Our political relations are excellent, but unfortunately our economic and trade relations do not match this level,” he said.
“We are making efforts with our brothers in the Government of Zimbabwe to find out how we can promote our economic and commercial relations and fields of interest.”
He said there was immense potential to increase co-operation between the two countries’ “complementary economies”.
Co-operation in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and health, said Amb Yazid, could be a gateway to deepening economic ties.
He said next year Algeria will resume offering university scholarships to local students after the facility was temporarily stopped on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We last had our joint permanent commission in 2009 and we were supposed to have it in 2018,” he added.
“Unfortunately it could not happen, but we are planning to have it this year or next year at the latest. In education, we already have very satisfactory co-operation as we give an annual offer of 100 scholarships to Zimbabwean students to study at Algerian universities.”
He said Algeria continues to call for the unconditional removal of illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.