Airport security measures: Algeria will not ban relations with US

Algerian foreign minister Mourad Medelci said Monday his country can not ban its relations with the US because of its inclusion in the list of countries to be subject to additional security measures in airports.

• “While the US expressed its appreciation for Algeria’s efforts in the fight against terrorism, it includes it in the list of countries subject to special security measures. Yet, I refuse to pawn bilateral relations due to this issue. We can not ban our relations because of a given issue,” Medelci told a national radio.
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• He added that Algeria will continue its endeavours until it convinces the US about banning Algeria from the list.
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• “The forthcoming visit of the US secretary of justice due to be paid in the next few weeks will be an opportunity to talk about the issue once again.”
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• Medelci asked for a reasonable solution to terror-related problems, saying humanitarian vision must not dominate in this topic.
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• He believes that kidnapping ransom is illegal funding of terrorism. “It is an indirect support to this phenomenon to continue.”
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• He highlighted Algeria’s successful efforts in convincing the UN Security Council about criminalising kidnapping ransom. “After this success, Algeria is submitting the file to the UN General Assembly,” he said, adding that 2010 will be the beginning of real criminalisation of kidnapping ransom.
• Speaking about the Association Agreement with the European Union, the Algerian minister said five-year work on the agreement’s clauses remains unsatisfying. “Our imports from the Union’s countries are still estimated at around 55 percent. We were expecting that the European Union would develop its investment presence in important and useful sectors for the national economy.”