80% of foreign publishing houses set to boycott Algiers International Book Fair

The Algeria Publisher’s Union General Secretary yesterday announced during a visit to “Echourok” newsroom that he will meet the press along with Radia Abed today at Tahar Djaout Press House in order to pressure the culture minister and the Algerian International Book Fair Commissioner to reconsider their decision to displace the event’s location.

• The Union activist related the events of the failed negotiations saying “ After in depth negotiations with the parties , the commissioner Smail Ameziane promised to meet with us at SAFEX locations in order to debate the matter, but he didn’t show up and called us on the phone to announce that the decision was irrevocable, that’s why we decided to organize this press conference to discuss the matter all together, knowing that the displacement of the event to the Olympic stadium will tarnish our image before the foreign publishers”
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• M Houma slammed at the officials’ stubbornness to stick to their decision despite their deep conviction, according to him, that they did the wrong choice “The one who decided to displace such an important exhibition will certainly destroy a museum, because both of them are part of the collective memory and cultural heritage of Algeria”, he said.
• For her part, Radia Abbed declared to “Echourok” that 80% of foreign publishers in addition to Algerian ones have decided to boycott the event soon after the announcement of its relocation to the Olympic stadium.
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