Algeria key partner for UK, military intervention in Mali last resort

Visiting British Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, said Sunday that Algeria is a key partner and foreign military intervention in troubled Mali remains the last resort. “Algeria is a valuable partner in the UK and a key player in the Maghreb and Sahel region,” Burt said in a press briefing in Algiers with the Minister Delegate in charge of Maghrebian and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel.

• “Algeria and the United Kingdom are working to further strengthen their trade and work together on issues of importance to their respective security and economy,” said the British minister.

• He estimated that Algeria is a country that is growing “very fast” and “interested in the UK because it has, he said,” great opportunities “.

• “The region is developing quickly, bringing both opportunities and challenges,” Burt said in a press conference, hailing Algeria as an important partner.

• Burt’s three-day visit in Algeria at the invitation of Algerian Minister for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel, came on the occasion of the 7th session of the Algeria-Britain bilateral commission.

• Meanwhile, Burt stressed that Britain favors a negotiated settlement to the crisis in Mali, and military intervention is the last resort.

• “Military intervention is always the last resort for the United Kingdom. This is a matter that must be settled by the region… by discussions and negotiations,” he said.

• Asked about the situation in Mali, Mr. Burt said that the position of the United Kingdom is to promote the settlement of the crisis through dialogue and negotiation, stressing that his country “greatly appreciates” the position of Algeria, which favors dialogue , local media reported.

• While acknowledging that the negotiations will be “difficult,” Mr. Burt said that the military intervention in Mali remains the “last resort” for the United Kingdom.

• Referring to the situation in Libya and the flow of arms in the region, the British minister said his country is working “closely” with the new Libyan authorities in order to secure these weapons so that it is not used purposes for which the artillery is not intended.

• He noted that it taking more time for the Libyan authorities to regularize the situation of the weapons, noting that “those who wanted to help Libya did not expect such consequences.”

• For his part, Messahel said that the visit of the British Minister is part of the seventh session of the bilateral cooperation between Algeria and Britain. He explained that this three-day visit will be an opportunity to evaluate the two countries’ cooperation in various fields, including political, economic, military and scientific.

• British business interests in Algeria include oil and particularly gas, renewable enegry, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. In April, there was a meeting of the Algerian-British Business Council which promotes business ventures between the UK and Algeria. Commercial visits have increased recently between the two countries.

• Mr Messahel said Algeria has developed a six-point approach to settle peacefully the crisis in Mali, including launching political dialogue between disputing parties and providing urgent humanitarian aids to its populations.

• The Tuareg rebels have proclaimed the Azawad region in northern Mali, on borders with Algeria, as an independent state in April, only weeks after the March 22 coup d’etat in Mali.

• Messahel further said Burt’s visit would also be an opportunity to boast bilateral cooperation in economy, politics, military and science, and to exchange views over several issues, including counterterrorism, the crisis in Syria and the development in the Middle East.

• Mr. Alistair Burt arrived on Sunday in Algiers, for a working visit of three days (June 24-26) at the invitation of Mr. Messahel.