Egypt will obtain Algeria’s gas when they pay debts, says Belkhadem
Personal representative of Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Belkhadem said chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry did not know about the new security measures for fights to the U.S. “Yet, Hillary Clinton said she would work on reviewing them,†he told Echorouk in an interview.
- Did you talk with John Kerry who attends the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha along with you about Algeria’s inclusion in the list of countries subjected to additional security measures in US airports?
- Yes, I did. We are not satisfied over Algeria’s inclusion neither do we like this discrimination between the US and the rest of nations. Those measures are shameful and offensive to every human being and not the Algerian people only. I met John Kerry and he promised me to submit this issue to the highest authorities. He surprised me by saying he did not know about that until the measures were announced.
- Hillary Clinton asked though the concerned countries Sunday to respect the measures and to be patient?
- But she said she will reconsider the decision. We hope so.
- If it is not reconsidered, will Algeria’s position towards the US will be the same?
- Every nation has the right to protect its citizens’ dignity and to resort to reciprocity.
- Egypt sent its ambassador back to Algeria after 77 days since he was summoned with no Algerian apology for the alleged Oum Dermane attacks and compensation for Egyptian damages. How do you think about that?
- I think the media reports about this event were exaggerated. Every country is allowed to summon its ambassador. We do not give it this minimising dimension of bilateral relations between Algeria and Egypt.
- But Egypt set conditions to allow the ambassador to come back. Algeria did not reply to them?
- Let me tell you something: we have to apologise for what? What did we do to apologise for? Our players and some of our fans were attacked in Cairo.
- So, why is this Algerian official silence about that?
- We do not want to trigger tension. We are aware that the relations between Algeria and Egypt are deeper than the acts of the Egyptian journalists who insulted our martyrs.
- Your Excellence, I am Algerian as you are. The Algerian revolution is the greatest revolution in the contemporary history. We do know the martyrs’ place in the Algerian people’s hearts. I think here silence has no sense.
- We did not keep silent over the insults against our martyrs. It was clear that we were angry on those who said they had taught us Arabic and liberated us. They did not liberate us. We are grateful to all the people who helped us including Arab people and some friend people in socialist countries. Our people’s resistance was behind our liberation. Speaking about Arabic, we are proud of speaking it as we belong to the Arab and Islamic world. We built Cairo and Al Azhar University. They must not say they taught us Arabic and so on.
- What is about the future of the Algerian Egyptian relations after all that event?
- I believe the relations will remain strong as there are higher interests for the two countries and their people.
- Did Algeria’s decision to stop gas exporting to Egypt have something to do with the crisis?
- Absolutely no. If Egypt links the decision to the football-related tension, it will not be fair.
- Will Algeria start exporting gas once again to Egypt?
- Our brothers in Egypt will get the Butane gas when they pay their debts.
- Is it true that Saudi Arabia tries to mediate between Algiers and Cairo to speed up the exporting of Egypt’s natural gas share?
- I think that we do not need a mediator between Algeria and Egypt. Our energy minister paid a visit to Cairo and there is a partnership agreement between the two countries.
- When you were Algeria’s foreign minister in 2005 and in the 17th Arab Summit, alternation were subjected to a hot debate. Is Algeria still attached to this claim?
- Alternation is a natural thing among territorial, regional and international organisations. It can be done in democracy by vote or plebiscite. This happens in the African Union, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the United Nations and the European Union. This happens in all the organisations. So, why didn’t this exist in the Arab League?
- Will you ask for that in Libya’s Summit?
- I am not going to say I will ask for that but it is logic. If a deal is made that the Secretary General of the Arab League should be from Egypt, we will accept that. If there is an agreement on alternation, it will be applied. Tradition must not prevail against logic and law.
- Two days ago, Quds Press agency said Algeria refuses to receive the Palestinian President Mahmoud Ababs. Is that true?
- We are not for division in Palestine. We recognise the popularity legitimacy when elections are transparent and this what happened in Palestine. We also recognise that The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. We are working on Palestine’s unity and we support its cause.